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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

GYWT 
@]|ap. (|!jp^rig{|i !f o* 

Slielfcir.5.4-. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 



CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Preface 3 

A Plea for the Average System, by George M. Newhall 31 

How Cricket is Played, by the editor of the American 

Cricketer 5 

The Laws of Cricket, with commentaries designed to explain 

their accepted interpretation in the United States 39 

Diagrams of the ''field" 59 

The Umpire, by A Faded Blue Stripe 63 



How TO Play Cricket. 



r 



A MANUAL 



V 



FOR 



AMERICAN CRICKETERS 






t-'tc:* 



<^nv OF CO.yGj>\ 

, MAY 4 1883,; 



ASHIt^^ 



PUBLISHED BY 

T. S. Dando & Co., 307 Walnut Street, 

PHILADELFHIA. 

1881. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881, "by 

THOS. S. DANDO & CO. 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Wasliington, D. C. 



PREFACE. 



The little work whose title ^ives a name to this book is intended, 
mainly, to be educational, and was written because there was no 
such thing in print. It does not pretend to teach those to play 
who have learned cricket by tradition, but it may be found of use, 
possibly, not alone where cricket has never been played. The aim 
is, however, not only that expressed in the title, but to furnish a 
reliable reference for the decision of questions that may arise 
during play, &c., and which are not answered in the accepted laws 
of cricket. 

Now that we have a " Cricketers' Association of the United 
States," some action should be taken looking to an improvement of 
the laws of cricket; or, if not that, to an authoritative interpreta- 
tion of those at present accepted. 

We learn in the play of cricket, and from written treatises — 
always English in their source— that the revision of the laws of 
cricket made in 1870 by the Marylebone Club of London, although 
an improvement on that previously made, is not what it should 
be, and that the laws as they now stand are very defective. Our 
brethren of the cricket field on the other side of the Atlantic seem 
to be nothing if not conservative, so that although the defective- 
ness of the present code is fully admitted, the leading clnh stands 
fast by its love of 1870, and no revision has to this time been made. 

Our transatlantic relatives say that we are radicals of a pro- 
nounced type about other matters. Why should we not be radical 
in the matter of la^vs in cricket, and have the Cricketers' Associa- 
tion place its approval on a code that shall apply to the cricket 
of to-day, and as far as possible without omissions ? There are 
cricketers of unquestionable ability who would be glad to render 
this service to the cause of cricket in America, and it is to be 
hoped that the good work may be soon taken in hand. 

The chapters on '^The Average Syste^i," and that on "The 
Umpire," were w^ritten at the earnest request of the editor by 
two representative American cricketers, to whom his thanks are 
specially due, and it is his sincere hope that these useful com- 
mentaries may not be simply read and admired, but that the 
suggestions made therein may be productive of practical good to 
cricket. If ^'the average systemJ^ was regularly in use for one day 
matches, there is hardly room to doubt that the result would be 
a greater popularity for the game, and if the suggestions for ^^the 
umpire'^ were carefully practiced how much they w^ould add to the 
pleasure of all players ! 

In conclusion, the editor may say that all the work done herein 
was for the love of it, and without hope of any other reward than 
the improvement and perpetuation of the noble game of cricket 
on American soil. 

W. Philadelphia, 23d Sept., 1881, 



HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 



For the purposes of this little treatise, it is assumed 
(1st) that the reader has not seen a game of cricket; 
(2d) that he has access to the rules adopted by the 
Marylebone Cricket Club of London, which are re- 
cognized as being authoritative in the cricket world ; 
and (3d) that as to bats, balls, stumps, and other im- 
plements for play, he can readily communicate with 
dealers in such articles, from whose catalogues, &c., 
their very evident uses will appear. It may here be 
explained that the various forms of guards and gloves 
are simply to protect the persons of the players from 
injury by the ball, which is very hard ; but it is not 
unusual to meet with batsmen who '' never use guards " 
or gloves, even when playing the fastest bowling. 

THE CRICKET GROUND. 

As hard hits are frequently made, and most ardently 
desired, it is well to have as large a field as the cir- 
cumstances of the club will permit, one of from two 
to four acres being generally sufficient. The more 
nearly it is naturally level the smaller will be the 
expense in preparing it for use. It is frequently the 
case that the outfield^ ^. e, the portions of the ground 
lying nearest to its boundaries, is quite rough, and 
allowed to be overgrown with weeds, &c., which of 
course should not be permitted ; but above all things 
it is necessary that the central portion of the field^ 
often called the platform of the ground, should receive 
the most careful attention, and be made as smooth and 
level as possible. As to its preparation much could 
be said, but assuming that the ground has been accu- 

(5) 



HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 



rately levelled, and that the turf is good and strong, 
a heavy roller should be used early in the spring and 
at regular short intervals through the playing season. 
The grass should be cut frequently to spread its roots 
well, and in dry, hot weather it must be copiouslj^ 
watered. After a few seasons it will be found that the 
pleasure of playing on the perfect surface of such a 
ground more than repays all of its care and cost. When 
a match is to be played, the ground should be well rolled 
and watered the night before, and rolled again (but not 
watered) in the early morning. On a perfect crease 
(i. e, the twenty-two yards between the wickets) there 
will not be the trace of a lump, or knotty piece of 
turf, its surface seemingly being as true as that of a 
billiard table. 

SETTING UP THE ^V^ICKET. 

The wicket is the combination of three, pieces of 
wood, called stumps (see Law III.), with the two 
smaller pieces, called bails, laid lightly on top after 
the stumps have been driven in the ground : i, e. it 
takes three stumps and two bails to make one wicket. 
Two of these are used in play (see Law VL). The 
law says the wickets must he pitched by the umpires; 
but the actual proceeding usually is for the wickets to 
be pitched (or placed properly) by the ground-man, or 
by some of the active members of the club when a 
man is not employed, the umpires merely approving 
the selection of the site ; even this much of the um- 
pire's duty, as a rule, being done tacitly. To set up 
the wicket is to select the ground, drive in the stumps, 
and mark the lines of the bowling and popping creases. 

In the selection of the ground, view must be had 
not only to the twenty-two yards between the wickets, 
but good, level turf should be had for the same dis- 
tance back of each of them, in order to give the long 



HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 7 

stop (of whom, later on) a fair chance to stop fast balls 
that may pass the wicket. 

The site for the wickets having been determined, 
one stump is driven into the ground and a tape line 
or chain run out twenty-two yards ; at which distance 
another stump is driven in. A whitewash line [whit- 
ing is better as it does not burn out the grass so badly), 
is marked at right angles to the line of the two wick- 
ets (see Law IV.), six feet eight inches long, being 
three feet four inches on each side of the single stump 
standing in the ground; at the end of this line, which 
is called the boAvler's crease, is made a little line at 
rio'ht ano-les to the bowler's crease backward from the 
wicket, some four to five inches long ; this is the return 
crease referred to in Law IV. Next, four feet are 
measured off in front of the stump (i, e. toward the 
one standing opposite), and a white line is made 
parallel to the one at the stump, generally about seven 
feet long, which is called the popping crease, (see 
Law v.). The remaining stumps are then driven into 
the ground, and the bails placed upon them, precisely 
in accordance with Law III., and after this entire 
operation has been repeated at the opposite end of the 
twenty-two yards selected, the ground plan will be 
like that on the following page : 



8 



HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 



Return 
Crease. 



Return 
Crease. 



^/ 



6 feet 8 inches. 



A 



V 



! Bowler's Crease. 



Popping Crease. 



Popping Crease. 



I 6 feet 8 inchesl 1 Bowler's Crease. 

y^ A 



Return 
Crease. 



Return 

Crease. 



now CRICKET IS PLAYED, 



9 



The elevation of one wicket like this 



Popping Crease. 



Bowling Crease. 



10 HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 

Dealers in cricket supplies generally have ''mark- 
ing frames" of these dimensions to mark the creases, 
and much time is saved by using them, an advantage 
being gained also in point of accuracy. They are 
common frames, such as a carpenter can readily put 
together, and made of any light wood. 

The space between the wicket and the popping 
crease — unlimited in length, {vide Law V.) — is collo- 
quially styled the batsman's ground^ and he is said to 
be out of it when he is anywhere- else between (but 
not behind) the wickets. 

THE OPPOSINQ SIDES. 

The side using the bat to defend the wicket, is said 
to be in ; while that occupying the field a,nd endeavor- 
ing to dispose of the batsmen, is said to be out ; the 
two batsmen who defend the wickets being for the 
time of their innings^ the sole representatives of the 
in side against the entire opposite side. 

The usual number to a side is eleven, and in clubs 
it is generally provided that the committee or the 
captain selects eleven of the best players, for the 
first eleven ; the next best, for the second eleven and 
so on ; matches of more than eleven to a side are, 
however, not infrequent; and in matches of the first 
importance, twelve are often played to each side. 

The favorite mode of giving odds is for the stronger 
side to play a greater number of the weaker ; matches 
between a powerful eleven, and fifteens, eighteens, or 
twenty-twos, being of common occurrence. 

When captains for the elevens of a club are not 
elected (or appointed by committee) annually, choice 
of one of the players is made before the beginning of 
a match, and the entire management of the game for 
each side is left to its captain. At the hour appointed 
to begin (alas, Avhat a sarcasm !) a coin is usually tossed 



HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 11 

for choice, and the Avinner announces at that time 
whether his side will take the bat or the field. It is 
also well at this time, if the matter has not been 
settled by previous agreement, to select the umpires ; 
of Avhom there are two, one for each side ; to agree 
on ''boundaries," and to name the scorers, of whom 
there are also two. (See Laws XXXVI. to XLVIL). 

POSITIONS OF THE FIELDSMEN. 

The places to which men are assigned, e, g. in the 
diagrams, see pp. 59-62, are not by any means/o^^cZ; the 
greater number may be moved during a game, accord- 
ing to the play of the batsmen and the aims of the 
bowler. Such positions as the wicket-keeper and 
point, are almost as unchangeable as that of the 
bowler, who can only change so far as he may move 
within the limits of the return creases at his wicket, 
but the covers^ long fields, mid-wickets, &c., are shifted 
in almost every good game. The diagrams give the 
names, and the places generally used when the play of 
the opposing batsmen is not known, but it is rarely 
that the field can be placed well by such a plan, and a 
good captain watches oirt for the weak or strong points 
of the batsmen, placing his men for catches or to stop 
favorite hits. 

The whole cricket field is divided technically into 
two sides, viz: the on (or leg) and the off. The 
former being that part of it, to the left hand side^ 
and the hack of a right handed batsman when playing 
at the wicket; the off being all to the face and right 
side; the line of division being the middle stumps of 
the two wickets. That part of the ground to the off 
side back of the batsman's wicket is often spoken of 
as ''the slips"; catches from slips and tips being fre- 
quently made in that part of the field. In the case of 
a left handed batsman all of this is precisely reversed 
a6 



12 HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 

(as to the terms on, off, and slips), and the fieldsmen 
are always changed across to positions corresponding 
with those as noted for a right hand batsman. It is 
to be observed that the fieldsmen receive their names 
from the position of the batsman who is the striker 
(see No./, p. 15); hence when over is called by the 
umpire (of which see p. 24) these names are reversed 
and the leg and off sides of the one batsman, become 
respectively the off and leg sides of the other ; but it is 
with regard to the batsman who is the striker that 
these terms are always used. 

PRELIMINARIES. 

At the hour appointed, the captain of the side that 
takes the field, being assured of the readiness of the 
other side, calls his men together and assigns them to 
their respective positions, having in view the adapt- 
ability of each man to the place that he is given to 
occupy. The in side having selected two of its men 
to represent it at the bat, he who is to be the first 
striker (and whom we will call No. 1,) takes his place 
at the wicket opposite to that at which the opposing 
bowler waits for him, his companion (No. 2,) taking a 
place within the popping crease at the bowler's wicket 
and on either side of it; as he may be directed by the 
bowler (see Law XI.). The umpires for the game by 
this time are in their respective places, fixed by custom 
(see diagrams A and B), and he who does duty for the 
side in the field takes his place by the wicket from 
which the first over is bowled. At this stage of the 
proceedings, and afterwards when a batsman is be- 
ginning his innings at either end, occurs the perform- 
ance of what is called '' taking guard." 

When the batsman puts his bat on the ground in 
front of the wicket he may know very nearly what 
portion of it the bat protects as to the line of the 



HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 13 

opposite wicket, or the bowler's hand ; but he cannot 
know exactly until he is informed by some one at the 
bowler's end. The usual guard taken is '' mi(hile 
stump"; i, e., so that the middle of the bat is precisely 
in the line between the middle stumps of the two 
wickets ; but other guards are often taken, notably 
that in which the bat is heki so that its surface covers 
equally the middle and leg stumps (the leg stump is 
that one nearest to the batsman's leg ; the one furthest 
from him away, the off), 

When the batsman has ascertained the line that he 
wishes to have his bat cover, he pounds a little hole, 
or makes a mark on the ground that he will be able to 
recognize, and if he does it properly, he will not 
trouble the umpire and take up the time of play by 
calling again and again for ''guard." Much valuable 
time is often wasted over this matter of taking guard, 
the necessity for such accuracy as is at times insisted 
upon, being quite doubtful to some of the best batsmen. 

All matters being in readiness ; the fieldsmen and 
the umpires in their places, and the batsman ready to 
receive the ball, the umpire at the bowler's wicket 
calls play^ (this he does only once, see Law XIV.), 
and the bowler proceeds to hoivl the ball {i, ^., he 
tosses, or pitches it) at the wicket defended by bats- 
man No. 1 of the opposite side. Here may occur 
any one of the many events incident to the play of 
cricket, a description of the possibilities to one ball 
from the bowler, being really the description of the 
game ; these will therefore be considered in detail, in 
the order as set forth in the laws of cricket. As the 
game is initiated by the bowler, first then, as to the 
part that he may have had to do with one ball sup- 
posed to have been bowled. 



14 HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 

THE BOW^LER. 

(a.) The first part of Rule IX. is, " The bowler shall 
deliver the ball with one foot behind the bowling 
^crease, and within the return crease"; hence it is 
plain that the bowler may have one foot over or be- 
yond the line of the bowler's crease ; a privilege that 
most bowler's avail themselves of. As to the other 
foot the law is construed to mean the whole foot, so 
that if, at the time the bowler delivers the ball from 
his hand, any part of his hinder foot be over or on the 
bowler's crease or the return crease, the umpire in- 
stantly calls no ball according to Law XL. 

(6.) The proceeding is similar by the umpire, if Law 
X. seems to be infringed by the bowler. This law is 
one of the difficult things that an umpire has to de- 
cide, some bowler's styles being undoubtedly open to 
serious question as to their fairness ; the writer has 
never seen in a good game of cricket, a throw^ pure 
and simple, — the sudden straightening of the forearm 
and wrist — permitted ; nor either, the jerk^ as it is 
called; in which the ball receives its impetus by 
reason of the contact of forearm or wrist with the hip. 

((?.) Law XII. is, ''If the bowler shall toss the ball 
over the striker's head, or bowl it so wide that in the 
opinion of the umpire it shall not be fairly within the 
reach of the batsman, he shall adjudge one run to the 
party receiving the innings, either with or without an 
appeal, which shall be put down to the score of wide 
balls ; such ball shall not be reckoned as one of the 
four balls ; but if the batsman shall by any means, 
bring himself within reach of the ball, the run shall 
not be adjudged." Thus if the ball is bowled so as to 
come within the provisions of this law, the umpire calls 
wide^ or signals to the scorers by raising his hand, so 
soon as the ball passes the striker's wicket. See Law 
XL v., as to the points referred to in a., b, and e. 



now CRICKET IS PLAYED. 15 

(d,) If the ball bowled does not come within the re- 
strictions as noted in a., h. and c, it is then a fair ball 
and counts as one ball in the bowler's over: (See Law 
XLIV., and concerning which see farther under overs). 
All the balls that can be bowled may be classified as 
either fair ^ wide^ or no-halls. 

{e.) It is necessary at this place to make reference 
to the point noted in the second part of Law XXIX. 
as affecting the bowler when he is about to deliver the 
ball: ''When the bowler is about to deliver the ball, if 
the batsman at his wicket, go outside the popping crease 
before such actual delivery, the said bowler may put 
him out" by knocking off one of the bails of the 
wncket or a stump out of the ground as referred to in 
Law XXL (see under u p. 20.) A good bowser is always 
on the watch for an infringement of this rule, and it 
is a way of getting out, for which, perhaps, the bats- 
man has the least excuse, if he is made the victim of a 
wary bowler. 

THE BATSMAN. 

(/.) The batsman defending the wicket from the 
bowler's attack (called in the laws the striker^ to dis- 
tinguish him from the batsman at the bowler's wicket, 
who cannot be a striker at the same ball), has for his 
object to hit away the ball into the field, beyond the 
fieldsmen if possible, so far as is consistent, with a 
sure defense of his wicket. The batsman's aim con- 
stantly is to make runs (see running) for the credit of 
his side and himself; the further away he can hit the 
ball, the more quickly and safely may the runs be ob- 
tained. 

{g.) If the ball bowled is a no-hall (see a.) the bats- 
man will quickly endeavor to hit it, he having in such 
case a special advantage in that he may be put out in 
but one w^ay, viz : run out (see p p. 18), in accordance 
with the first sentence of Law XIIL, ''If the bowder 



16 HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 

deliver a ' no-ball ' * * * >h ^j^^ striker shall be al- 
lowed as many runs as he can get, and he shall not be 
put out except by running out." 

(A.) If the ball is called ^'wide" by the umpire, the 
batsman simply waits till the ball has been returned 
by the fieldsmen to the bowler, unless it is possible to 
run what is called a bye ; for a description of which 
see p. 21. The batsman has also the privilege of 
appeal to the umpire if he thinks the ball bowled 
wide, but which has not been called such by the um- 
pire, (see Law XII.). If a hit is made on a ball 
called wide^ plainly enough the umpire has made a 
mistake, but custom has ruled that runs made from 
wides count in the score of wides (not to the striker), 
and that if a man is caught from a hit on a wide, he 
is out ; the umpire's judgment and decision being 
accepted without recourse and as being final in all 
parts of the game, in accordance with Law XXXVI. 

(y.) If the ball is a fair one, the striker must en- 
deavor to "play it; z. ^., strike it with his bat, in such 
a way as to prevent his being put out in accordance 
with the various laws, as follows : 

Law XV. '' The striker is out if either of the bails 
be bowled off, or if a stump be bowled out of the 
ground." This law seems to be very clear, but it may 
be worth while to record that the application of the 
law is not affected in any manner by the fact of the 
ball having struck the bat or the legs of the striker, 
or any part of his person before hitting the wicket ; 
and on the other hand, Law XXXV. is vigorously 
enforced by a good umpire in every case. '^ The 
wicket-keeper shall not take the ball for the purpose 
of stumping until it has passed the wicket ; he shall 
not move until the ball be out of the bowler's hand; 
he shall not by any noise incommode the striker ; and 
if any part of his person be over or before the wicket, 



HOW CRICKET IS TLAYED. 17 

although the ball hit it, tlie striker shall not be out." 
It is the concluding sentence of the law that justifies 
its introduction in this place. (See also L) 

{k.) Law XVI. The striker is out ''if the ball 
from the stroke of the bat, or hand, but not the wrist, 
be held before it touches the ground, although it be 
hugged to the body by the catcher." The only ex- 
ception to this law as to the catch on the Jli/ as it is 
called, is Law XXXIII. '' If any fieldsman stop the 
ball with his hat, the ball shall be considered dead" 
(z. e, neither of the batsman can be put out on that 
ball), ''and the opposite party shall add five runs to the 
score; if any be run they shall have five in all." 
This law has been so vigorously enforced as to prevent 
a fieldsman from throwing his hat on the ground. to 
lighten his burthen on a hot day. The striker cannot 
be caught out on a hit no-ball, (See Law XIII.) 

(Z.) Law XA^'IL The striker is out "if in strike 
ing, or at any other time while the ball shall be in 
play, both his feet shall be over the popping crease, 
and his wicket be put down, except his bat be grounded 
within it." This law applies to what is called "stump- 
ing," and a player thus put out is said to be "stumped 
out"; it happens in this way: The striker, for a better 
chance to hit the ball, or for surer defense, decides ta 
go in to the ball at its pitch or short rise from the 
ground ; he steps forward one or two paces from his 
popping crease, misses his play at the ball and gener- 
ally turns back quickly enough in the attempt to re- 
gain his gi^ound^ to see the wicket keeper stump him 
out. It is to this matter the greater part of Law 
XXXV. applies, and the umpire at the batsman's end 
must be wide awake if the striker is to receive his full 
measure of justice when the wicket keeper is quick 
and has learned the art of stumping with his toe^ 
instead of with the ball "in hand." (See under y.) 



18 HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED, 

(m.) Law XVIII. The striker is out '^ if in strik- 
ing at the ball he hit down his wicket." , This law is 
plain, but is applied strictly according to the letter, 
custom having ruled that the striker is not out if he 
hit his wicket at any other time, and the same remark 
may be made with regard to Law XXII. 

(n.) Law XIX. ^'If under pretense of running, or 
otherwise, either of the strikers prevent a ball from 
being caught, the striker of the ball is out." This 
law may be liberally interpreted to apply not only 
to a ball hit into the air, but also to one thrown into 
the wicket by a fieldsman. 

(o.) Law XX. The striker is out " if the ball be 
struck, and he wilfully strike it again." This law is 
intended to prevent a striker from stopping a ball and 
then deliberately hitting it again with the intention 
of attempting runs from the second stroke; he may 
protect his wicket from a recoil of the ball after he 
has played it (z. e, has touched it with his bat) in any 
manner he chooses, except with his hands (see Law 
XXXIV.), but he can not hit the ball to attempt runs. 

(p,) Law XXI. Either of the batsmen is out ''if 
in the running, the wicket be struck down by a throw, 
or by the hand or arm (with ball in hand) before his 
bat (in hand), or by some part of his person be 
grounded over the popping crease; but, if both the 
bails be oif, a stump must be struck out of the ground." 
This law applies to what is called " running out," and 
a player thus put out is said to be " run out." Run 
out may occur in the attempt to score from any hit, 
or in the attempt to run bi/es, leg-hyes^ or wides (see 
RUNNING, p. 20), and it is quite similar to the ''stumped 
out," except that the ball may be taken by any fields- 
man after the ball has touched the bat. The manner 
of run out is generally this : a hit is made from which 
a run is attempted, but before one of the batsmen has 



HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 19 

reached his ground the wicket is knocked down, either 
by the throw of a fieldsman directly to the wicket, or 
a throw to the wicket-keeper or bowler who puts down 
the wicket with the ball. In this connection see Laws 
XXVI. and XXVII. 

(q.) Law XXII. The striker is out " if any part of 
the striker's dress knock down the wicket." See re- 
marks under m, which apply precisely to this law. 

(r.) Law XXIII. He is out " if the striker touch 
or take up the ball while in play, unless at the request 
of the opposite party." The ball is in play during 
the entire innings of the one side, except when ''over" 
is called by the umpire (see overs, p. 24), and in the 
interval after a batsman has been put out till the next 
one takes his place at the vacant wicket. 

(s.) Law XXIV. The striker is out ''if with any 
part of his person he stop the ball, which, in the 
opinion of the umpire at the bowler's wicket, shall 
have been pitched in a straight line from it to the 
striker's wicket and would have hit it." When a 
batsman is given out for any of the reasons noted in 
this law it is called leg before ivicket. It certainly is 
a troublesome one to the impartial umpire, and its 
enforcement often gives rise to heart burnings on the 
part of the batsman. It should be the aim of bats- 
men to so perfect their style of play that both feet- 
and body shall always be entirely clear of the wicket. 
Many good batsmen do, however, play so closely to the 
wicket that it may be worth while here to state briefly 
just what constitutes "leg before wicket." In the 
first place, the law is enforced literally, so that although 
the breadth of the wicket is somewhat wider than 
lines are usually, for the matter in hand the whole 
breadth of the wickets is the line in which the ball 
must pitch (touch the ground). Next, straight from 
the bowler's hand will not put a man out, and, lastly. 



20 HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 

the ball must be one that would have hit the wicket, 
hence there are three things of which the umpire must 
be sure before he decides a batsman out on an appeal 
as to ""leg before,'' First, Did the batsman stop the 
ball with some part of his body (not with his bat) ? 
Second. Would the ball have hit the wicket if it had 
not been stopped by some part of the batsman's person? 
Third, Did the ball pitch on the broad line between 
the wickets ? If the indictment fails in either of these 
counts the batsman is not out. It is as to the last 
two questions that mistakes ar,e most frequently made, 
and umpires very often give a batsman out when a 
ball has hit his leg directly in front of the wicket, without 
stopping to consider whether it was pitched on, the line 
between the two wickets, or in the case of a ball rising 
rapidly from the ground and which hits the batsman 
just below the middle, without any consideration of the 
probability that it might have gone over the wicket 
and not '' have hit it." 

[t,) It will now be assumed that batsman No. 1 
has received a fair ball from the bowler, and that he 
has hit it away into the field, and that he, with his 
partner, is attempting to score a run. 

RUNNINQ. 

[u,) In order that a run may be scored it is neces- 
sary that the batsman should exchange wickets ; i, e, 
he that was receiving the bowler's attack. No. 1, must 
run to the bowler's wicket while batsman No. 2 runs 
(at the same time with No. 1) to the wicket that No. 1 
has just vacated. If either batsman fails to ground 
his bat, or instead of that, fails to have some part of 
his body within the popping crease of the wicket he 
is running to, before the wicket is put down (see 
Law XXI.), that batsman is said to be run out^ and 
the run which he and his partner were attempting 
does not enter into the score. (See Law XXVII.) 



HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 21 

(r.) In this case as in all others where the question 
of a batsman being in or not is raised, an appeal must 
be made to the umpire, before he can give a man out. 
Law XXXIX. is, the umpires '' are not to order a 
striker out unless appealed to by the adversaries." 
The appeal "how's that" is generally made by either 
bowler or wicket keeper ; but in games not so well 
regulated as they might be, one often hears the appeal 
as a chorus by the fieldsmen. 

[iv.) Assuming that the run out^ did not occur, and 
that batsman No. 1 secured one run from the hit ; 
No. 2 would receive the next ball from the bowler ; 
but if the hit produced tivo runs (or any even number 
of runs as four, or six), No. 1 would then continue to 
play the balls bowled ; while, as in the case of the 
single run if the hit by No. 1 had produced three or 
five runs. No. 2 would receive the bowler's attack. 

In the case of a hit, long enough to produce more 
than one run, it sometimes happens that one of the 
batsmen fails to ground his bat within the popping- 
crease before turning about to make the next ; this is 
a ''short run" and does not count to the striker in 
the score ; the umpire at whose end the fault was com- 
mitted calling out in accordance with Law XLL, "one 
short." Thus a hit that would have produced three 
runs if the batsman had been but a trifle more careful 
is recorded as two, and similarly with other long hits. 

BYES. 

The observations heretofore made respecting " run- 
ning" have had in view runs made after hits from the 
bat ; there is however another, often a fruitful source 
of runs, resulting from negligence in the field, and all 
such are called bi/es. Reference to this means of ob- 
tainino; runs is onlv made incidentally in the laws of 
cricket, and in that place the reference is to a sub- 



22 HOW CEICKET IS PLAYED. 

division, called '^ leg-byes," which, since the law as it 
now stands, was formulated, have become a regular 
feature in score-books. "Byes'' may be run at any 
time after the bowler has delivered the ball in his at- 
tack upon the wicket, and any run obtained, except 
as a result of a hit, is scored to byes ; hen byeshe 
count to the benefit of the whole side that has the 
innings, but not to the individual batsman. They are 
usually run after a ball passes the fieldsman back of 
the wicket, and when it has speed enough in it to 
make the attempt to score one, safe. If the attempt 
should prove unsuccessful, the batsman who runs for 
the Avicket that is put down is ^'run out" (seejt? p. 20); 
if, however, the run is made, one is scored to ''byes." 
In the case of wides^ and no-halls^ byes are not at- 
tempted unless it seems quite possible to make more 
than one run, in which case all the runs that are made 
are scored to wides or no-halh. But these runs are 
not additional to the notch that would have been 
scored if none had been run. Thus if a wide is 
called by the umpire, it is scored one wide ; if the 
batsman run one bye on it, it will be still scored as 
onemde; but if two byes are run, two wides will be 
scored ; similarly with no-balls. The second sentence 
of Law XIII. explains why a bye run on a wide or 
no-ball is scored as but one, and the third sentence of 
the same law why the byes run are not scored as byes. 

The last sentence of Law XIII. is ''if the ball 
shall first touch any part of the striker's dress or per- 
son (except his hands), the umpire shall call 'leg-bye,' " 
and this is the only reference to byes in the laws of 
cricket. The law is evidently intended to relieve the 
fieldsmen of a portion of the onus attaching to extras — 
as wides ^ byes^ and no-balls are often called ; leg-byes 
being the most pardonable of all. The law is con- 
strued literally ; and a bye run after the ball has 



now CRICKET IS PLAYED. 23 

struck any portion of the striker's body, arm, trunk, 
or head, is still a leg-hye. 

To a beginner there appears to be another means of 
obtaining runs, popularly known as overthrows. A hit 
having been made, the batsman may run so long as 
the ball is not returned to the wicket, or so near to it 
that a run is dangerous. Thus from a slight tap of 
the bat the ball may be within such easy distance of a 
fieldsman (near to the wicket), that a run attempted 
would be a certain out ; but the fieldsman for some 
reason may throw the ball hard at the wicket ; missing 
it, and all fieldsmen near by, it may bound far out into 
the field, when the batsmen may run as many as they 
can get, the total counting to the score of the batsman 
whose bat instituted the disaster to the fielding side. 
Similarly, overthrows count in addition to any runs al- 
ready made by hits, so that when an eleven does not 
field well together, one may sometime see hits in the 
score-book for eight or ten runs Avhich are nothing 
more than hits for one or two runs, with double and 
even treble overthrows added. 

Overthrows on byes, and leg-byes, wides, and no- 
balls count to their respective scores, always deducting 
the initial run from the total runs made on wides and 
no-balls for the one that would have been scored if 
none had been run. 

Thus to summarize paragraphs a to ^^, there are 
distinctly four ways in which the iyi side may obtain 
runs (or notches; as wides and no-balls are not properly 
runs), viz: 

1. By hits from the bat and overthrows from them. 

2. By byes and leg-byes and overthrows from them. 

3. By wides and overthrows from them. 

4. By no-balls and overthrows from them. 

The last three are known as extras, and their num- 
ber is uniformly in inverse proportion to the excellence 



24 HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 

of the fielding. And there are six ways in which ttit^ 
fielding side may put out the batsmen, known by the 
following names : 

Bowled, caught, run out, stumped out, leg before 
wicket, and hit wicket. The provisions of Laws XX., 
XXII., and XXIII., are so seldom infringed, that in 
such rare cases the number of the rule is written in 
the score-book, as they have no special names like 
those above given for the ordinary means of retiring 
batsmen. 

After a wicket has fallen (z. e. a batsman put out), 
not longer than two minutes should be allowed to 
elapse before the next batsman fills the place : if the 
game is played in the proper spirit and with the C9urtesy 
due to the fielding side, it will only be in exceptional 
cases that Law XXXVIII. is infringed. The captain 
of the side at the bat should see to it that two men are 
in readiness to fill the place of the man who may next 
be outj and it will then be found that as a rule one 
minute is more time than is needed, to fill the vacant 
wicket. 

OVERS. 

The game thus proceeds with its ever varying fea- 
tures until the umpire calls over (see Law XLIV.), 
which occurs when the bowler shall have delivered four, 
five, six, or eight fair balls as may have been agreed, or 
according to the custom in the locality. In important 
matches in England, the overs are of four balls each, 
according to the letter of Law XLIV., but in matches 
of only local interest in that country, and the greater 
number of matches in the United States, unless played 
against English or Canadian elevens, the overs are ot 
six balls each. This is done to economize time, much 
of which is consumed by the crossing from one side to 
the other at the ''over," and it has been suggested by 
some eminent cricketers, in order to still farther effect 



HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 25 

a saving, that the number of balls to the over be in- 
creased to eight. 

When over has been called, the ball is tossed to the 
man who will deliver the ball from the opposite end ; 
and changes are made by the fieldsmen to such po- 
sitions as the captain of that side appoints them. In 
order that the matter may be quite clear as to the 
reversed positions corresponding to the change of 
the bowling, a diagram has been appended, see B, 
which shows the men placed on the over in the 
positions corresponding precisely with those shown on 
diagram A. 

The batsmen do not change their ends at the call of 
over^ but remain each at his own wicket until the field 
has been placed and the bowling begins again. Thus 
if No. 1 was at his original wicket at the call of over, 
he would remain there when the bowlino; beo-an from 
that end, batsman No. 2 receiving the ball from the 
new bowler. In this connection see the last part of 
Law IX., from which it may be seen that a bowler may 
bowl two overs in succession, but not more ; and that 
he may change tivice in one innings : z. e, (by custom) he 
may begin at one end, change to the other, and after 
an interval change back to his original end ; and he 
may bowl two overs in succession, but this he may do 
only once in an innings. 

When a batsman has been put out, the uniformity 
of the over is not in any way afiected. After the new 
batsman has taken his place and matters are in readi- 
ness for the game to be proceeded with, if there are 
any balls remaining to fill the quota of that over in 
which the late batsman was retired, the bowler pro- 
ceeds to bowl so many balls as may be necessary ; 
which being done the umpire calls over^ and the bowl- 
ing is done next at the opposite end. 

Over succeeds over in this way until in a match in 
which there are eleven to a side, ten men of the in 



26 HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 

side have been put out, when the innings of that 
side is said to be finished, the eleventh man being 
marked on the score book as not out ; this is one of 
the marked peculiarities of the game of cricket. It 
is of special advantage to the batsman who succeeds 
in '^ carrying his bat out" (as it is called), because in 
the calculation of averages for any given length of 
time, the number of runs that he may make in such 
an innings goes to increase the general total. Batting 
averages are calculated by dividing the total number 
of runs obtained, by the total number of times out ; 
thus if a batsman has made one hundred runs in ten 
innings, his average would be ten to an innings if he 
had been put out in each ; but if in five of them he 
had been ''not out," his average would be twenty to 
an innings. 

After the side that took the first innings has been 
put out, that which was in the field, next takes the 
bat, while its opponents do the fielding. 

Law XL VI. is, '' The players who go in second shall 
follow their innings if they have obtained eighty runs 
less than their antagonists, except in all matches 
limited to only one day's play, when the number shall 
be limited to sixty instead of eighty." Thus, e, ^., the 
side going in first has made a total of one hundred 
and fifty, and its opponent on the first innings 
made ninety; if it is a one day match the last 
named must follow the first innings by the second, 
before the party first to the bat takes its second 
innings, because it has made sixty less than its 
antagonist ; if, however, it is a two days' match, the 
party second to the bat could not be required to follow 
on; as the lead it would follow would be less than 
eighty. 

It is by the operation of this law that winning hy 
wickets instead of runs, comes about; a peculiarity 



HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 27 

of cricket that the uninitiated beholder never seems to 
grasp. Assuming that the case above cited is a one 
day contest, and that party No. 2 follows its innings, 
and made on its second venture eighty runs, the total 
of the two innings would be one hundred and seventy, 
against the one hundred and fifty of party No. 1 on 
its first. No. 1 would then send in its batsmen, and 
endeavor to obtain the twenty-one runs needed to en- 
sure a victory, with as little loss as possible. If the 
runs were obtained without one of the batsmen having 
been put out. No. 1 would be said to have won by ten 
wickets ; because in sides of eleven each, ten men out 
puts out the side; if with the loss of one batsman, to 
have won by nine wickets, and so on. 

Law XXXYIII. says the umpires shall allow ''ten 
minutes between each innings. When the umpire 
shall call 'play,' the party refusing to play shall lose 
the match." It would be a lasting benefit to the game 
of cricket, if the captains of the respective sides would 
agree with the umpires before beginning the game to 
abide by the accepted laws, of which this is as much a 
part as any other. It is too often the case that from 
fifteen minutes to an hour, and sometimes even more 
time, is utterly wasted between the innings. In con- 
nection with this matter read the article on The 
Umpire. 

A game of cricket consists of two innings to each 
side, and it is not properly a game if either side is 
short an innings, or if one side only has had its second 
innings and the other side not. It is unfortunately 
too often the case that in these days of one day 
matches^ the games for the most part are not played 
to their legitimate termination ; and as a consequence, 
too many of them are open to the objection of being 
one-sided and dull. A pluckiiy played second innings 
often makes an amendment for a careless or unlucky 



28 HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 

first, and bad fielding through an innings often '' gives 
away" a game that has to all appearances been won at 
the bat in a first. It will be a source of no little sur- 
prise to those who have never consulted score-books 
and records to find how often an apparent victory in 
the first innings has been changed into defeat as a re- 
sult of the second. In America the class of men 
whose time is wholly at their own disposal is compara- 
tively limited, so that an economy of time is necessary 
to the great number of cricketers. Now we find often 
that one day, the time that is most frequently allotted to 
a match, is too short to play a full game of two innings 
to each side, and more than enough to play one innings 
each, and usually there is an innings or a part of one 
played by one side in excess of the other. But if the 
game is decided by the result of the first innings, the 
portion of the play after the result is known is worse 
than useless, and it is found to be subject to many 
abuses. In this condition of affairs there is nothing 
to be done but to play an average system, and to the 
article on that subject on page 31, the reader is referred. 

CONCLUSION. 

For a lover of the game to sum up the pleasures of 
cricket would be a great undertaking, even were he 
the ablest of writers, but to one who is conscious at 
every step of his inability to properly describe matters 
much simpler than the description of the delights that 
inhere to this noble game, the suggestion is hopeless, 
and the sensations that crowd the memory at the 
recollection of happy hours spent at practice games 
and matches, — the enjoyment had in this innocent 
health-giving amusement — are absolutely indescribable. 
To the one who has never attempted to defend, or bowl 
down a wicket, let an enthusiastic lover of cricket ad- 
vise you to take the first chance you can to get a bat 



HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 29 

in your hands, and have a friend, who is aware that you 
are a beginner, bowl to you at but a moderate pace, 
and take j-ou a little taste of the pleasure that there is 
to be had in defending the wicket, and of vigorously 
hammering an over-pitched ball ; after which have a 
taste of the bowling, and if your friend at the bat is 
kindly disposed, he may perhaps let you experience 
the delight to be had in tumbling over a stump, by a 
ball that " has nothing in it." My word for it, unless 
YOU are of such a rigid mould that your heart does not 
throb one beat faster at the thought of merry hours on 
sunny days, in bright, green fields; after the ex- 
perience, a suit of flannels will soon be yours, and that 
you will be urging others as you here are urged, to 
the practice of a game in w^hich it will be your eifort 
to perfect yourself at every convenient opportunity. 
The widely varied chances of the game, so far from 
being an objection, will when you know it, become in- 
deed the chiefest of its sources of pleasure. The best 
batsman may be bowled out by a ball from a veritable 
beginner, w^hile it is possible for the most indifferent 
of batsmen to almost defy the best of bowlers, if he 
will but hold his bat firmly to the ground. And 
again the bowling that is done so easily ; without ap- 
parent fatigue, and that seems to be quite possible to 
hit, if only the batsman w^ould ''kt out at it"; and 
the batting done with such an easy swing ; that comes 
down fairly on the ball, and that seems so perfect that 
the next ball will surely be hit away ; (but no, the 
bowler knows his opponent's length and pitches the 
ball just short of the spot where the batsman can 
safely hit, and the latter too is wary, refusing to take 
chances on balls that he must hit up in the air), these 
players may both be exhibiting the result of years of 
practice, and yet the effect, as to run getting, in the 
case of two such very able practitioners playing against 
each other, seems to be as nearly as possible the 



30 HOW CRICKET IS PLAYED. 

^' child's play" of beginners, so nearly does the skill 
of the one neutralize the ability of the other. It is 
at such a juncture in a good match that the pleasure 
of the lover of real cricket is as nearly as possible at 
its height, not excepting the most (popularly) exciting 
stages, of a well-contested game. To see a good bats- 
man whose eye is well set, opposed to the most de- 
lightfully expert of bowlers, is indeed a rare treat to 
the cricketer. The bowler by every device at his 
command tempting and trying the batsman ; while the 
latter readily and deliberately resists the temptation 
and refuses to be tried, the game seeming to be one of 
life, in which, unfortunately, the bowler is apparently 
the arch enemy of the mankind of batsmen. In great 
matches, such are the times when the minutes move 
slowly to the average spectator, and perhaps he is 
justified in voting the game a hore when over after 
over is bowled, and maiden follows maiden ; no tumbled 
down wickets, nor sky-scraping hits rewarding the 
patience of him who came to a show and not to see 
cricket ; but, my dear inexperienced friend, to whom 
the real delights of the game are, I hope not for long, 
unknown ; betake you to the advice given herein and 
learn the nature of the task that is set, when a good 
batsman is to be bowled or otherwise put out, and 
learn what are the difiiculties in the way of combining 
the movement of hand and eye in the defense of a 
wicket against a good bowler ; after which, it is my 
fancy you will learn too, to respect the ability of the 
men; to enjoy the admirable play that gives rise to 
these bevies of charming maidens, and, in place of 
clattering stumps or sky-scraping hits, it is your 
privilege to know that neither of these in themselves 
are cricket.^ To use an unworthy comparison, as in 
the game at cards, the number of points made is not 
the feature, but the euchre ; so it is that " the play's 
the thing" in 'Hhe noble game of cricket.'' 

*I must confess, however, a natural iDfirmity as to the clattering stumps- 



THE AVERAGE SYSTEM. 



For an exhibition game, such as cricket pre-enii- 
nently is, to gain fovor among a people who are not 
wedded to it by education and traditions, this game 
should be suited to the character and natural feelings 
of the populace. Our noble game has shown itself to 
be peculiarly fitted for the Anglo-Saxon temperament, 
and the world over the English rules for play are all 
powerful and binding. But, as they were made for 
the leisure class of England, they naturally do not 
fully provide for America, w^here we have no such 
class, numerous and active enough, to maintain the 
English custom in playing matches. They seldom 
begin a match with the intention of deciding it by the 
first innings, while we play most of ours on one day, 
and, as one day has proved too short a time for the 
completion of four innings, the contestants must settle 
their contest by the verdict of the first innings. As 
two or three hours' play may have followed this fore- 
gone conclusion, the arrangement is provoking to the 
players, especially to those who may have the real ad- 
vantage at sunset, although they may have lost on the 
first innings. Suggestions have been made to remedy 
this annoyance, and to so arrange the method of de- 
ciding a game that the team showing the best record 
upon the score book, including all the play from first 
to last, should be accorded the victory. 

If this could be accomplished it w^ould certainly add 
to the popularity of the game in this country, as both 
players and spectators w^ould feel that the best man 
had won. Cricket without interested spectators is flat, 
and we should strive to make the one day game played 
in this country as enjoyable to spectators as it is in 
England where the matches are finished. The peo- 

(31) . 



32 THE AVERAGE SYSTEM. 

pie will enjoy the sport and go to it if they are 
promised that all the playing done shall count, and 
that the home-stretch towards sunset shall, in all like- 
lihood, develop the turning point or deciding plays of 
the match. A method has been recommended by 
which to secure these advantages over the ordinary 
plan. It is based upon the conviction that — first^ the 
Americans are not in a position to play two day' 
matches, but are destined, for years, to confine their 
games to a single day ; second^ unless the play of the 
day be not recorded in full, justice will, frequently, 
not be done that side having shown the best record, 
therefore making the result a matter quite so much of 
chance as of skill ; thirds the people cannot afford to 
take an afternoon to attend a match which, may be 
finished, virtually, before 3 o'clock in the day. If the 
spectators be wanting, our game is killed. The 
American public wish to see the result secured. The 
scrub game which follows the first innings is in no way 
entertaining, as a rule. So, it is contended, by the 
present system both players and public are dissatisfied. 

Before giving the above-mentioned method we should 
say that it is equally intended for unfinished two days' 
matches. 

Of the last five great games played in Philadelphia, 
three were drawn, viz : Australia vs. Philadelphia, 
Canada vs, Philadelphia, and Resident English vs. 
Americans. The spectators upon all these occasions 
were much discontented with the result, and much 
harm was done the game thereby. All of which, it is 
argue'fl, might have been avoided by adoption of 
the new system which we insert below. 

''The Cricketers' Association of the United States," 
at their meeting of April 17th, 1878, offered the fol- 
lowing for the consideration of cricketers, specially 
recommending its adoption by the clubs : 



THE AVERAGE SYSTEM. 83 

"First. No match shall be decided on the average 
system unless each side have played one full innings, 
and ten wickets shall be counted in said innings, 
whether a full eleven plays or not. 

"Second, To get the average, the total score of the 
play of each side shall be divided by the total number 
of batsmen, less one. Thus the score of two full 
innings will be divided by twenty-one. 

" Third. The striker carrying his bat out in the first 
innings shall go in first in the second innings. 

"Fourth. The side going in second must play their 
full innings, unless when stumps are drawm their score 
shall exceed the score of their opponents ; in that 
event they may w^in with wickets to spare. 

"Fifth. Innings must be followed by a side according 
to the rules of a tAVO days' match. 

"Sixth. If a wicket be lost within two minutes of the 
time agreed upon to draw stumps, the captain of the 
battino; side mav send the next man in or not, as he 
chooses." 

COMMENTS UPON AND EXPLANATIONS 
OF THE RULES. 

Rule 1. Provides against the side going second to 
the bat winning w4th an incomplete innings, or, if the 
side be short, and the innings be played until all bats- 
men present have had a strike, the total score must be 
divided by as great a number as divides the score of 
those batting first. The principle is that one side 
should not need to divide their score by any higher 
number than the other side. Rule 5 explains how 
those second at the bat win if they pass their oppo- 
nents' score and still have wickets to fall. 

Rule 2. The principle of calculating is very simple, 
if we consider that the batters of the second innings 
are different batters than those of the first innintrs. 
2a 



34 THE AVERAGE SYSTEM. 

Suppose a side on their second innings have only 
fifteen minutes to play before ''time" is to be called, 
^nd the batters sent in first hold their own, conse- 
quently only thirteen batters of their side will have 
appeared at the wickets, and the total runs of the play 
of the two innings must be divided by twelve. The 
result is the average by which they win or lose. 

Rule 3. The striker "carrying his bat," who is apt 
to be one of the "tail end," is thus compelled, as he 
should be, to face the music, otherwise the stronger 
players of the side would go in first to secure a high 
average, especially if the day were drawing to a close. 

Rules 4 and 5 need no comment. 

Rule 6 is eminently a fair provision. 

The Marylebj3ne law allows two minutes for a batter 
to appear, so, if the batting side lose a man within 
two minutes of the time for drawing stumps, they 
always have the privilege of going no farther ; but, 
please observe, this state of things assumes a very 
close game, and the captain of the batting team may 
know that with the average already obtained he wins 
the game. If he put another man to the bat it would 
count one more for the divisor of his score, which 
would lose him the game, unless, within two minutes, 
the new striker could with his partner add as much 
as the average scores already obtained to the total 
score. This could not be expected of any batters, as, 
in ordinary circumstances, they should need to make 
ten or twelve runs within two minutes. 

If, however, the batting side were so pushing the 
fielders as to hope to win by playing to the last minute, 
the fielders are bound to promptly respond, as they 
have as good a chance to lower the average as the 
batters to increase it. 

Let us see how this method would have worked with 
the Australians. 



THE AVEKA(iE SYSTEM. 35 



What was the programme ? It was this : Each side 
was planted to make a creditable draw. Of course 
there was time to get rid of the enemy if they should 
happen to begin to drop oiF suddenly and keep on 
dropping. On the other hand, the Australians deter • 
mined if runs should come slowly to play a slow game. 
The upshot of this was, the batters were thrown upon 
their guard, as the home team changed ends with the 
successful bowlers of the first innings, as w^ell as the 
style of the bowling, to secure ''maidens" rather than 
wickets. This quiet maneuvering worked to the sat- 
isfaction of both parties. When time was called, 
Blackham remarked to one of his opponents : " We 
got the best of it;" to which the inaudible reply was 
given, ''Do you think so?" The three days' play 
was over and the ten thousand spectators " quietly 
dispersed to their homes." Now, the Philadelphians 
scored 246 runs to be divided by " the total number 
of batsmen, less one," = 21, making their average 
11.85. When the Australians went to the bat for the 
second time they had an average of just 15, having 
scored 150 in their first innings. If the game had 
stopped there they would have won, on the "average 
system," on an average of 3.15 above the Philadel- 
phians. But there was an hour and a-half left for the 
friendly pastime before the hour agreed upon to stop ofi*. 
Everybody would have known that Philadelphia had 
an average of 11.85. Australia goes to the bat. 
Their first wicket fell for 153 and their average is 
13.16 [immense cheering], reduced from 15 in five 
minutes. The play proceeds. Their second wicket 
fell for 165, reducing their average to 12.61 [terriffic 
yelling]. At this point the prospects for the foreigners 
improved, and the third man went down at 203, raising 
the average to 14,50 [condescending applause from a 
few fair-minded persons] ; but the next striker retires 
at 206, the average again falling to 13.26 [great 



36 THE AVERAGE SYSTEM. 



excitement as the sun descends]; but Murdoch and 
Blackham hold up their wickets, and, with 206 to 
their credit, the visitors win by an average of 12.87 
against 11.85. 

''If" they had lost two more wickets within the 
hour and a-half, scoring no more, they would have 
lost the match, and the American people would have 
to remember the greatest of matches and most glorious 
of victories instead of an ''unpleasantness." 

It might be suggested that the Australians would 
have played a different game if the "average system " 
had been adopted. As it was, they only had to main- 
tain their wickets until sundown, no matter how great 
the sacrifice of their men, whereas by the new method 
they should have had the onus of keeping up a certain 
average. This would have affected their minds, and 
they probably could not have shown as good play as 
they actually did. The best English cricketers have 
uniformly shown poorer play at Philadelphia when 
they have been pushed than when they w^ere getting 
the best of it. 

The disappointment which arose from the draws of 
the Canada and English matches of 1880 might have 
been avoided in this same way. 

After the' result of the Australian game, these two 
incomplete matches were, doubtless, very injurious to 
the cause of cricket. But let us see how they would 
have resulted by the new way of counting. 

The Philadelphians against Canada had two full 
innings and scored 238 runs ; but as they played 
twelve men, their score is to be divided by 23, which 
gives an average of 10.38. The visitors batted nine- 
teen men, and when time was called had scored 90 
runs, which, divided by 18, yields an average of just 
5. Upon the merits of the play which was done, the 
Canadians were fairly worsted. They had scored 



THE AVERAGE SYSTJ5M. 37 

more runs than their opponents in the first innings, 
but were outstripped on the home-stretch, and for the 
want of an hour or two the play, which was extended 
over two days, went for nothing. It remains to show 
how the English match Avould have been decided. 

Again the Americans had two full innings, and 
scored 184 runs, securing an average of 8. Then the 
English took the bat for their second innings, having 
scored first time 120, an average of 10.90. It is 
generally admitted that the burden is upon the batters 
who are called upon to secure a certain number of 
runs, with the loss of only so many wickets, and 
many have been the cases of what the British call 
''dry-rot" at this stage of a game of cricket. So far 
the Americans were practically beaten, and only a 
short half hour remained for play. Upon the old 
basis a draw was inevitable, and each team tried to 
wind up the play so that the record would be favorable, 
while the spectators waited for the last over to be 
bowled, hoping that some brilliant play might be 
shown, however useless it was sure to be. What a 
treat, on the contrary, would it have been for the spec- 
tators if they had known the match was to be decided 
by the "average system"! The English strive to 
maintain their average of 10.90, in fact they have a 
large margin to come and go on, with their opponents 
finally booked at 8. Their first wicket drops at the 
old figure 120, and down goes their average to 9.15; 
down goes another at 122, and down goes the average 
to 8.71. This was not the worst of their fate, for 
still another dropped at 124 — average 8.26 ; something 
must be done to save the credit of the British willow, 
and Smith, a most finished batsman, steps to the front. 
He is entirely beaten by the first ball — average 7.75. 
Did you ever! The captain of the team, the dough tj^ 
Pearson, is armed with all the wood and guards the 
law allows and marches pluckily in. But English 



38 THE AVERAGE SYSTEM. 

beef and pluck can avail to increase the score but six 
runs, and at 130, up and down, and side ways, goes 
Pearson — average 7.64. Friends, countrymen, and 
lovers, what would you give to have seen that match 
played on the average system? The 'Hime" was 
called after five minutes of stubborn defense by the bats- 
men representing the foreigners, and the play stopped 
at 135 — average 7.50 — which, upon this method, 
would have scored a brilliant victory for the American 
cousins. This method would prevent an annoyance to 
the American temperament, which annoyance, with 
some natural prejudices against all slow and inconclu- 
sive pastimes, will need to be remedied to save cricket 
from an unhealthy and dragging existence in this 
country. Brethren, think upon these things ! 



THE LAWS OF CRICKET 

As Revised by the Marylebone Cricket Club, in 1870. 



Note. — The commentaries and explanations of the laws of 
cricket have been compiled from the following : 

"Cricketers in Council, bv 'Thomsonby.' London, Bell & 
Daldy, 1871." A most excellent book. Keferred to herein by 
the nom de plume of the writer. 

"Commentaries on the Laws of Cricket," by James Lilly- 
white. Referred to herein as Lillywhite. 

" Cricket : Its Theory and Practice," by Charles Box. Re- 
ferred to herein as Box. 

"Guide to the Cricket Ground," by George H. Selkirk. 
Referred to herein as Selkirk. 

"Cricket: Its Theory and Practice," by Captain Crawley. 
Referred to herein as Cricket. 

" Cricket, and Hovr to Play It," by John Wisden. Referred 
to herein as Wisden. 

Some additional commentaries have also been made by the 
editor of The American Cricketer, a. d. 1881. 

I. The Ball must weigh not less than five ounces 
and a half, nor more than five ounces and three- 
quarters. It must measure not less than nine inches, 
nor more than nine inches and one-quarter in circum- 
ference. At the beginning of each innings, either 
party may call for a new ball. 

*'It is customary for the club on whose ground the match is 
played to provide the ball, which is usually given to the Umpire 
of tiie winning side afterwards." — T.'iomsonby. 

"Generally a single ball will suffice, but the law as it stands 
is intended to meet possible cases of bad balls, wet ground, &c." 
— Cricket. 

" Almost up to the beginning of the present century the balls 
were made so badly that they would not last out a match ^ ^ 
Xo one now-a-days would think of such a thing as calling for a 
new ball at the commencement of each innings." — Selkirk. 

(39) 



40 THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 

*^It is not nsual, except in case of the ball being much dam- 
aged, for more than two balls to be used in a match.'' — Lillywhife, 

'^ In order to bring a ball within the scope defined, the 
process of making it involves great care and nicety. Most of 
the match balls when new are somewhat ' cheeked.' The object 
of this is to counteract the change of shape which it soon 
assumes after being used, as the seams are sure to rise. The 
inventor of the treble seamed ball ^ ^ ^ -was one John 
Small, a shoemaker of Petersfield, in Hampshire. All first- 
class makers stamp their names as a guaranty of quality and 
correctness." — Box, 

II. The Bat must not exceed four inches and one- 
quarter in the widest part ; it must not be more than 
thirty-eight inches in length. 

*^0f course the bat maybe as much smaller as the player 
chooses. This law was made about forty years since,, in order to 
prevent the introduction of wide bats." — Cricket. 

"I think it is the umpire's duty to see that bats larger than 
the law allows are not played with." — Lillywhite, 

" In the primitive stages of cricket, there was neither limit- 
ation to length nor stipulation as to width of the bat." — Box. 

'' The length of the blade of the bat is unlimited, except as 
to the thirty-eight inches. It is found in practice, however, 
that if the blade is longer than usually made, the bat would be 
too unwieldy for effective use." — Selkirk. 

r III. The Stumps must be three in number, twenty- 
seven inches out of the ground; the Bails eight 
inches in length ; the Stumps of equal and sufficient 
thickness to prevent the ball from passing through. 

" The stumps must not be more than twenty-seven inches in 
height by eight inches in width when driven into the earth. As 
the bails are made in proportion to the stumps, and the stumps 
are pointed at the lower ends, and have a collar or wider part 
above their points, it is almost impossible to drive in the stumps 
improperly." — Cricket. 

Eight inches is the extreme width of the :ys^icket. — Ed. 

IV. The Bowling Crease must be in a line with 
the stumps : six feet eight inches in length ; the 
stumps in the centre ; with a return crease at each 
end towards the bowler at right angles. 



THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 41 

"It is important to notice that the return crease should be 
mad«^ at right ano:lts." — Lilly white. 

'* There will, therefore, be three feet of the bowling create on 
each side of the stumps, the eis^ht inches being taken up by tlie 
latter. This limitation which is marked by the return crease is 
necessary to prevent the bowler going away wide of the wicket 
in the act of delivery, which would be unfair to the striker by 
depriving him, owing to the different angle, of the advantage of 
' guard.' " — Selkirk. 

See diagram on page 8. 

V. The Popping Crease must be four feet from 
the wicket, and parallel to it ; unlimited in length, 
but not shorter than the bowling crease. 

"The crease marks the ground of the batsman in front of the 
wicket. It is unlimited in length, because the ba'sraan, to avoid 
a collision, or meeting the ball, may find it necessary to run 
' round his ground,' and it would be unfair to give him out for 
doing so. This prevents the confusion that mis^ht occur were 
the batsman confined to any narrow space." — Selkirk. , 

As for the necessity to avoid "meeting the ball" sae remarks 
under Law XIX. 

VI. The Wickets must be pitched opposite to each 
other by the umpires, at the distance of twenty-two 
Tards. 

"It was formerly the custom of the bowlers to pitch the 
wickets, but this duty was afterwards transferred to the umpires, 
as being fairer to both sides." — Selkirk. 

" Why twenty-two yards w^ere originally resolved upon as the 
limit of distance, is not more my^sterious than the appointment 
of eleven persons necessary for playing the game." — Box. 

Perhaps twenty-two yards were determined upon as the dis- 
tance between the wickets, because it w^as (and is) the length of 
the chain commonly in use for measuring land. Mr. Box is 
somewhat in error when he says " eleven persons necessary," 
&G. There are eleven persons on each side, and therefore 
twenty-two ; one person for each yard of the distance between 
the wickets. (?) Ed. 

See remarks on pages 6-7. 

VII. It shall not be lawful for either party during 
a match, without the consent of the other, to alter 
the ground by rolling, watering, covering, mowing, or 



42 THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 

beating, except at the commencement of each innings, 
when the ground shall be swept and rolled, unless the 
next side going in object to it. This rule is not 
meant to prevent the striker from beating the ground 
with his bat near to the spot where he stands during 
the innings, nor to prevent the bowler from filling up 
holes with saw-dust, &c., when the ground shall be wet. 

See note after Law XL VII. 

^* Consent to rolling, &c., is seldom or never asked during the 
progress of an innings. At the commencement of an innings the 
side going in should see that it is swept and rolled, as it is, 
of course, to its advantage.'^ — Lillywhite. 

VIII. After rain the wickets may be changed with 
the consent of both parties. 

"A very necessary provision, especially if the ground is much 
cut up." — Lillywhite. 

IX. The Bowler shall deliver the ball with one 
foot on the ground behind the bowling crease, and 
within the return crease, and shall bowl one over 
before he change wickets, which he shall be permitted 
to do twice in the same innings, and no bowler shall 
bowl more than two overs in succession. 

" With one foot, that is with the vjhoJe of one foot, behind. If 
so much as the tip of the toe touches the bowling crease, or if 
the side of the foot touches the return crease, the bowler is 
' no-balled.' See notes on Laws No. XL. and XLIV." — Thomsonhy. 

** There is a very prevalent idea that sometimes the hinder 
foot is off the ground in the action of delivery, and it does 
occasionally look as if this wavS. the case. It is, however, a mis- 
taken supposition, for it is utterly impossible to M)Owl' the ball 
with the foot up, as can easily be ascertained by experiment.^^ — 
Selkirk. 

See also remarks on p. 14. 

^' By changing wickets twice it is understood that a bowler, 
after changing ends, may return to his original end only.'' — 
James Lillywhite. 

X. The ball must be bowled. If thrown or jerked 
the umpire shall call ''no ball." 



THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 43 

'' Propel the ball with your hand from wicket to wicket as you 
like, provided you don't throw it and don't jerk it, and you will 
undoubtedly bofrl it." — Thomsonhi/. 

The no-ball called by the umpire is scored as one to the in 
side, if no more are made from it. — Ed. 

See remarks under Law XIII., and also a, on page 14. 

XI. He may reipire the batsman at the wicket 
from which he is bowling to stand on that side of it 
which he may direct. 

" So as to give him ample room for bowling." — Lillywhite. 
" This law simply means that the batsman is not to stand in 
the bowler's way." — Thomsonby. 

XII. If the bowler shall toss the ball over the 
striker's head, or bowl it so wide that in the opinion 
of the umpire it shall not be fairly within the reach of 
the batsman, he shall adjudge one run to the party 
receiving the innings, either with or without an appeal, 
which shall be put down to the score of wide balls ; 
such ball shall not be reckoned as one of the four 
balls ; but if the batsman shall by any means bring 
himself within reach of the ball, the run shall not be 
adjudged. 

"The word 'so^ before the word ^ toss,^ Avould make this law 
clearer. The batsman may ' duck ' to avoid the ball, so that it 
goes over his head, but the ball does not become a wide in 
consequence. See Law" XLY.'* — Thomsonby. 

'' ' Either with or without appeal ; ' this shows it is lawful to 
inquire of the umpire if a ball, which he has not called, is wdde 
or not. The appeal, however, is seldom made. Umpires should 
notice that the sole requisite for a wide is that it should not be 
* within reach of the batsman.' Hence a wide to a short man, 
might not be so to a tall one.'' — Lillywhite. 

The umpire's decision in the case of w^des and no balls is final 
quite as much as in other cases, and if a wide should be hit, the 
striker is not out if caught, and runs obtained from a wide that 
is hit are scored to w^ides, not to the batsman. 

If the batsmen prefer to run the wide^ and no balls, there is 
nothing but the activity of the field and sudden illness to pre- 
vent them from doing so, as they can only be put out by a run 
out.— Ed. 



44 THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 

XIII. If the bowler deliver a ^'no-ball" or a 
'' wide ball," the striker shall be allowed as many runs 
as he can get, and he shall not be put out except by 
running out. In the event of no run being obtained 
by any other means, then one run shall be added to 
the score of ''no-balls" or ''wide balls," as the case 
maybe. All runs obtained for " wide balls " to be 
scored to "wide balls." (The names of the bowlers 
who bowl " wide balls " or " no-balls," in future to be 
placed on the score, to show the parties by whom 
either score is made.) If the ball shall first touch any 
part of the striker's dress or person (except his hands), 
the umpire shall call "leg bye." 

"The striker may hit a^ no-ball' and obtain runs, from it, or 
byes may be run from it ; wides may also be run out as byes. It 
would be useless, however, to run the byes, unless there should 
be a chance to run two, because, without running, one would be 
scored and the wicket not endangered. It must be borne in mind 
that to run a bye from a wide or no-ball does not add two to the 
score, one for the wide or no-ball and one for the bye. When 
two or more are made from one of these balls the score is put 
down to wides or no-balls, not to byes." — Selkirk. 

" The last clause as it stands is absurd. Of course the umpire 
only calls ^ leg-bye^ when a run is made." — Thomsonby. 

The no-ball or wide does not count as one of the balls in the 
over, and wides, no-balls and byes do not impair a maiden-over,, 
which is understood to be affected only by runs from the bat. — Ed. 



XIV. At the beginning of each innings the umpire 
shall call " play ; " from that time to the end of each 
innings no trial ball shall be allowed to any bowler. 

''As a matter of fact, a new bowler often bowls a (trial) ball,, 
though not at the wicket, 'just to get the stiffness out' of his arm 
before he begins." — Thomsonby. 

"No trial ball on the wicket." — Lillywhite. 

Umpires should not permit trial balls to be made with the 
evident intention of prolonging a game until time shall be called. 
—Ed. 



THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 45 

XV. 'Tlie STRIKER IS. OUT if either of the bails be 
bowled off, or if a stump be bowled out of the ground. 

The striker is, however, not out if any part of the wicket, 
keeper's person be over or before the wicket when the ball hits 
it; when such a case occurs, the umpire at the batsman's end 
should promptly call not out. See Law XXXV. — Ed. 

"Cases have occurred in which the wicket has been struck, 
and the bail has been jerked up in the air, and in coming down 
has stuck between two of the stumps without reaching the ground. 
The usual decision of not out in such cases is, I think, not 
correct. The bail certainly goes * off, ' though it may fall on 
again. The only reason for requiring a bail to be knocked off 
is, that there may be clear evidence of the wicket having been 
struck ; that evidence is furnished by the dislodgement of the 
bail from its original position." — Thomsonhy. 

XVI. Or, if the ball from the stroke of the bat, or 
hand, but not the wrist, be held before it touch the 
ground, although it be hugged to the body of the 
catcher. 

"If the ball be caught close to the ground, with the hands 
lying upon the latter, the striker is out, the ball not having 
touched." — Selkirk. 

" The batsman is always out when the ball, directly from tl^e 
bat, is caught before touching the ground or some surroundiijg 
fixed object, such as a house or tree." — The American Cricketery 
Vol. II. 

"Suppose the ball just touches the leaf of a tree which it 
passes through before being caught ? " PJainly the striker is out 
in accordance with the foregoing rule of the American Cricketer ^ 
while equally, had the ball touched one of the large limbs on 
the trunk of the tree, so that the ball from the hit of the striker 
was diverted from its consequent course, the umpire should give 
it not out. — Ed. 

" In the case of a ball lodged on a roof or in a tree (taken by 
a fielder before it touches the ground), the batsman would not be 
out, for the hit ends when the ball stops." — Thoinsonhy. 

XVII. Or, if in striking, or at any other time 
while the ball shall be in play, both his feet shall be 
over the popping crease, and his wicket put down^ 
except his bat be grounded within it. 



46 THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 

A batsman put out in accordance with Law XVIT. is said to 
be stumped out, and this service' is performed by the wicket- 
keeper. The law does not say that the wicket-keeper, when he 
stumps a man, shall have the ball in hand, but it means that he 
shall, and it should be amended to read similarly to Law XXI. 
as to that feature. — Ed. 

^^ The word 'over' here means ^not within' ; i, e., either out- 
side or on, or not touching the ground within the popping crease." 
— Thomsonby. 

"If the striker hits a ball back into his partner's wicket, the 
latter is not out, unless he is then off fiis ground, and the ball 
after being hit has been touched by one of the side which is 
fielding." — Thomsonby, 

XVIII. Or, if in striking at the ball he hit down his 

wicket. 

"He is not out for hitting down his wicket in running, or in 
any other way than in ^striking at the ball.' " — Thomsonby. 
" Hitting down a wicket includes hitting off a bail only." — 

Lillywhite. 

XIX. Or, if under the pretense of running, or other- 
wise, either of the strikers prevent a ball from being 
caught, the striker of the ball is out. 

" It is general to give the striker out only, if the prevention 
is willful." — Lillywhite. 

"According to the accepted construction of this law, the striker 
is out if he obstructs a fieldsman in fielding any ball, not merely 
in 'making a catch as here implied." — Thomsonby. 

"A case is recorded in the year 1832 of a batsman who, in 
effecting a run, prevented the ball from reaching the wicket 
keeper's hands by the interposition of his bat, and the man was 
given out, and very properly so." — Box. 

XX. Or, if the ball be struck, and he willfully 
strike it again. 

" But see Law XXXIV. The willful striking here means 
striking with intent to score off it a ball already hit by either 
himself or his partner." — Thomsonby. 

See also the last note under Law XIX. 

"A batsman is fully justified in willfully striking the ball a 
second time if it be in defense of his wicket."— ^oo:. 

If the ball is hit a second time in defense of the wicket, a 
run cannot be made from it. This law also is held to apply to 



THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 47 

any case in which the batsman has stopped a ball with a part of 
his person, and after it has stopped near him, he hits it to make 
runs. — Ed. 

XXI. Or, if in running, the wicket be struck down 
by a throw, or by the hand or arm (with ball in hand) 
before his bat (in hand) or some part of his person be 
grounded over the popping crease. But if both the 
bails be off, a stump must be struck out of the ground. 

" JBall in hand means in the same hand. A man mnst not 
hold the ball in one hand and. put the wicket down with the 
oilier. If all the stumps have been already knocked out of the 
ground, one of them must be stuck up again, and again knocked 
down, to put the striker out.'' — Thomsonby. 

" If the batsman himself be in his ground, even though he 
mav have dropped, his bat during the run, he is not out." — 
Selkirk. 

"His bat or some part of his person must be grounded ivithin 
the popping crease. On the crease is of course out.'''' — Lillywhite. 

A batsman put out in accordance with Law XXI. is said to 
be run out, as to which see pp. 20-21. The letter of this law 
would, in case of run out from a hit, put out the striker, while 
his partner might be the delinquent. It is the batsman who 
fails to reach his ground in time that is put out, whether he be 
the striker or his partner. See Law XXV. — Ed. 

XXII. Or, if any part of the striker's dress knock 
down the wicket. 

''The words 'in striking at the ball' are understood, though 
a contrary inference might be drawn from this law being placed 
here, instead of as part of Law XVIIL If in the act of striking 
(not in running) a batsman's hat is biowm off and knocks down 
the wicket, he is out." — Tnomsonhy. 

"This would be described on the score as hit wdcket." — 
Lillywhite. 

XXIII. Or, if the striker touch or take up the ball 
while in play, unless at the request of the opposite 
party. 

" The batsman has no business with the ball except to strike 
it with the bat." — Cricket. 

See remarks under Law XLYII. 



48 THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 

" I suppose that reading the law strictly, if a batsman to 
defend himself from a bumpy ball presented his hand to it, he 
would transgress the law. It would, however, be ^ hard lines' 
for him to be given out." — Lillywhite. 

XXIV. Or, if with any part of his person he stop 
the ball, which in the opinion of the umpire at the 
bowler's wicket, shall have been pitched in a straight 
line from it to the striker's wicket, and would have 
hit it. 

"An appalling number of wrong decisions under this law are 
given by umpires. Roughly speaking, we may say that a round- 
hand bowler, unless he bowls 'over the wicket,' or the ball 
^breaks back,' will scarcely ever bowl a ball of good pitch from 
which the batsman can fairly be ' leg before wicket.' The diffi- 
culty of doing so will, of course, be increased or diminished, 
according as the ball is delivered from near the return crease, 
or from near the wicket ; but with a pitched-up ball the case is 
different." — Thomsonhy. 

''Umpires should recollect that with round-arm bowling, 
experiments have shown that it is almost impossible for a batsman 
to be out 'leg before/ if the bowling is round the wicket." — 
Lillyvjhite. 

" It was never contemplated that a batsman should be taught to 
calculate the peculiar spin that an expert might put on the ball, 
or a rough ground give to a wide one, and then if he failed to 
strike it, and it hit his leg, that he should be given out." — Boj:. 

See remarks on p. 19, s. 

XXV. If the players have crossed each other, he 
that runs for the wicket which is put down is out. 

^'In other words, the batsman is out who is nearest to the 
wicket which is put down." — Thomsonhy. 

" And not the striker of the ball as is sometimes wrongly 
decided." — Cricket. 



XXVI. A ball being caught, no run shall be 
reckoned. 

"Even if a run has been completed, while the ball is in the 
air, before the catch is actually mside J^—T/iomsonby. 



THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 49 

XXVII. A striker being run out, that run wliicli 
lie and his partner were attempting shall not be 
reckoned. 

"But any runs previously made for the same hit are of course 
scored." — Tfiomsonby. 

"This wholesome regulation was suggested in consequence of 
a practice which at one time prevailed of daring a run upon the 
feeblest pretense when the match was nearing its close and when 
])erhaps but two or three runs were wanting and as many persons 
were provided to get them." — Box. 

In this law the word striker is used as being synonymous with 
batsman. — Ed. 

XXVIII. If a lost ball be called, the striker shall 
be allowed six runs ; but if more than six runs shall 
have been run before lost ball shall have been called, 
then the striker shall have all which have been run. 

"It is usual to fix a certain number of runs to be allowed for 
each ball hit out of the ground into the tent or pavilion or to 
other places agreed upon. In this case, as when 'lost ball' is 
called, the ball becomes dead, and if the batsman chance to be 
out of his ground when the ball is thrown up he cannot in such 
case be run out." — Thomsonhy. 

Lost ball is usually called when the ball is out of the fielder's 
reach, although within sight, so that delay in obtaining it w^ould 
permit a greater number than six runs : e. g. if it should lodge 
in a tree, or the roof of a shed, in a pond, &c., &c. ; but if it is 
plainly in sight and so such difficulty has arisen, the striker 
should have all the runs he can obtain. — Ed, 

XXIX. After the ball shall have been finally set- 
tied in the wicket-keeper's or bowler's hand, it shall 
be considered dead ; but when the bowler is about to 
deliver the ball, if the striker at the wicket go outside 
the popping crease before such actual delivery, the 
said bowler may put him out, unless (with reference to 
the twenty-first law) his bat in hand, or some part of 
his person be within the popping crease. 

"When the bowler shows by his actions that he is about to 
deliver the ball it is again in play, and any immunity previously 
enjoyed by either of the batsmen ceases." — Lillywhiie. 



50 THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 

'''Shall have been finally settled.' It is the province of the 
umpire, in case of an appeal to him, to exercise his judgment as 
to whether the ball was finally settled. The manner of the 
wicket-keeper or bowler will direct him upon this point. After 
being ' dead,^ the ball is not again in play until the bowler com- 
mences his next delivery .'' — Selkirk. 

"When ''finally settled' the ball is considered dead till the 
bowler stands to deliver his next ball." — Wisden. 

" The ruse, frequently adopted by very acute wicket-keepers, 
of holding the ball in order to catch the less experienced hitter 
oflfhis guard, has long been denounced as a contemptible experi- 
ment. ' Finally settled " is, when the wicket-keeper has taken 
the ball and the batsman is within the limits of the popping 
crease. It is the duty of the wicket-keeper to return the ball 
immediately." — Box. 

"The 'bowler puts him out' as in Law XXI." — Thomsonby. 

If the bowler, standing ready to begin his run, preparatory to 
the delivery of the next ball, should attempt to put out a bats- 
man whom he may think is out of his ground, by throwing at 
and missing the wicket, runs made as a result of the throw at 
the wicket should be scored to byes. The remark applies also 
to the throw of a wicket-keeper or other fielder at either wicket 
if the ball did not touch the striker's bat ; e. g., suppose a fast 
bowler sends down a ball which does not touch the striker's bat, 
but rebounds from the wicket-keeper's guard to the leg-side. 
Short leg, who picks up the ball, seeing the batsman at the 
bowler's end out of his ground shies it at the wicket which 
the ball misses and the batsmen run. This run is scored a 
plain bye. — JEd. 



XXX. The striker shall not retire from his wicket 
and return to it to complete his innings after another 
has been in, without the consent of the opposite party. 

" This consent, however, is given as a matter of course in 
cases of injury in play." — Thomsonby. 

"The injured and retiring party ought not to come in again 
until a wicket has fallen." — Box. 

XXXI. No substitute shall in any case be allowed 
to stand out and run between wickets for another per- 
son without the consent of the opposite party; and in 
case any person shall be allowed to run for another, 
the striker shall be out if either he or his substitute 



THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 51 

be off the ground in manner mentioned in Laws 
XVII. and XXI., while the ball is in play. 

The word striker in this law is used in a sense synonymous 
with batsman. — Ed. 

'* Substitutes who ^ stand out' i. e. field, do not of course bowl, 
and it is customary to station them in places other than long- 
stop, point and wicket-keeper. The substitute who * runs between 
wickets for another person ' stands, while the person is batting, 
close behind the wicket-keeper, rather on the leg side. The 
^person' when not in the act of batting, stands by the umpire 
at the end which is bowled to, while his substitute takes the 
ordinary position of a batsman at the popping crease of the end 
bowled /ro?7i." — Thomsonhy. 

When the batsman who has the substitute is the striker, the law 
is enforced strictly as written, but when a run is made by the 
substitute the striker is of course not put out, and the substitute 
acts for him at the bowler's end. Should over then be called the 
striker changes his end at the same time the fielders change 
places, and the ball is not in play until he reaches his wicket. 

If the principal, while he is the striker, should make a hit, 
and forgetting the substitute should start to run, he may be put out 
according to Law XYII. whether or not the substitute is in the 
batsman's ground ; if in such an attempt he should make the run 
it does not count unless the substitute also shall have run. — Ed. 

XXXII. In all cases where a substitute shall be 
allowed, the consent of the opposite party shall also 
be obtained as to the person to act as substitute, and 
the place in the field which he shall take. 

See notes to Law XXXI. 

^' This is only fair, because the person chosen might otherwise 
be so much better than his principal as to affect the result of the 
game materially." — Selkirk. 

'' A very few years ago the situations of the substitute were 
negatively set forth ; thus, he was not to bowl, keep wicket, 
stand at point, cover-point, or stop behind in any case." — Box. 

XXXIII. If any fieldsman stop the ball with his 
hat. the ball shall be considered dead, and the opposite 
party shall add five runs to their score ; if any be run 
they shall have five in all. 

"Stop it willfully, that is." — Thomsonhy. 

"The five runs are to be put down to the striker, to byes or to 
leg-byes, &c., as the case may he.''^ —Selkirk. 



52 THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 

XXXIV. The ball having been hit, the striker may 
guard his wicket with his bat, or with any part of his 
body except his hands ; that the twenty-third law 
may not be disobeyed. 

See notes to Law XX. 

^'Law XX. does not apply to this case.^' — Thomsonby. 
^' He must not willfully, with intent to score off of it, strike 
the ball a second time.'' — Lillywhite, 

XXXV. The wicket-keeper shall not take the ball 
for the purpose of stumping until it have passed the 
wicket ; he shall not move until the ball be out of the 
bowler's hand ; he shall not by any noise incommode 
the striker ; and if any part of his person be over or 
before the wicket, although the ball hit it, the striker 
shall not be out. 

" The umpire must be careful to watch the wicket-keeper's 
hands and feet. This law is frequently broken, owing to the 
non-attention of umpires. Its great object is of course to ensure 
that the wicket-keeper do not guide the ball on to the wicket." 
— Selkirk. 

" Umpires are frequently lax on this point. Wicket-keepers 
often, especially with slow bowling, take the ball in front of the 
wicket, and umpires should recollect that an active batsman can 
sometimes get back into his ground as soon as the ball can pass 
the wicket. Therefore, wicket-keepers should be watched." — 
Lillywhite, 

XXXVI. The umpires are the sole judges of fair 
or unfair play ; and all disputes shall be determined 
by them, each at his own wicket; but in case of a 
catch which the umpire at the wicket bowled from 
cannot see sufficiently to decide upon, he may apply 
to the other umpire, whose opinion shall be conclusive. 

^' He should always so apply in case of doubt." — Lillywhite. 

''This law is held to authorize an umpire (on being appealed 
to) to order a striker out for any unfair play, whether expressly 
provided ajjainst by law (e. g. XIX.) or not, and to decide any 
disputed point, even if the question of fairness or unfairness is 



THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 53 

not expressly involved. The umpire's decision is final, and 
should never be objected to, protested against, or even remarked 
upon, however unjust it may appear to be/' — Thomsonby. 

XXXVII. The umpires in all matches shall pitch 
fair wickets; and the parties shall toss up for choice 
of innings. The umpires shall change wickets after 
each party has had one innings. 

"The ^change' relates to the position of the umpires; the 
wickets are unchanged. The umpire who has stood at one end 
goes to the other ' after each party has had one innings,' and 
vice versaJ' — Thomsonby. 

" In this law the word ^ w^ickets ' is used in two different senses* 
If on the second occasion it read ends, it would, perhaps, be 
clearer." — Lillywhife. 

" ' Fair wickets ' are considered to be such when all inequalitie& 
of the ground about the usual pitch of the ball are overcome in 
the best available manner." — Box, 

XXXVIII. They shall allow two minutes for each 
striker to come in, and ten minutes between each 
innings. When the umpire shall call ''play," the 
party refusing to play shall lose the match. 

"This Hwo minutes' is the extreme limit. The next man to 
go in should always be ready to go to the wicket as soon as a 
batsman is out without any delay at all." — Thomsonby. 

"This is to guard against either side taking an unfair advan- 
tage of the other in cases where time is of importance." — 
Lillyiuhite. 

" 'Two minutes' and ^ten minutes' at the utmost." — Selkirk. 

XXXIX. They are not to order a striker out unless 
appealed to by the adversaries. 

See notes to Law XXXVI. 

This law helps materially to keep the umpire in his proper 
judicial attitude before both sides. If an umpire were permitted 
to order a man out, without an appeal from the fielding side, it 
would always appear that he favored that side. — Ed. 

'' Xor should an umpire give an intimation to the adversaries 
that it would be well for them to appeal." — Lillyivhite. 

''This refers more especially to cases of leg before wicket and 
stumping when the bowler or wicket-keeper cries ^ how's that,' 
or words to that effect." — Wisden. 



54 THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 

XL. But if one of the bowler's feet be not on the 
ground behind the bowling crease and within the 
return crease when he shall deliver the ball, the 
umpire at his wicket, unasked, must call ''no ball." 

" Of course he may bowl with both feet behind the crease if 
he wishes to do so." — Thomsonby. 

'* Note that the law reads behind the bowling crease, hence it 
follows that if the bowler's foot touch any part of the line it is 
a no-ball.'^ — Lillywhite. 

XLI. If either of the strikers run a short run, the 
umpire must call " one short." 

^' And such run is not to be scored/' — Thomsonby. 

'^ The ' short run ' is determined by the popping crease over 
which the bat in hand must be put down, if the foot of the 
batsman does not arrive there." — Box. 

Query. Suppose on a hit, worth two, both batsmen tun a short 
run. Selkirk says : " Although both runs are short, yet only one 
is deducted, as the batsman goes more than the distance between 
the wickets." 

XLII. No umpire shall be allowed to bet. 
"This highly beneficial rule ought also to apply to the 



XLIII. No umpire is to be changed during a match, 
unless with the consent of both parties, except in the 
case of violation of forty-second law ; then either 
party may dismiss the transgressor. 

XLIV. After the delivery of four balls the umpire 
must call " over," but not until the ball shall be finally 
settled in the wicket-keeper's or bowler's hand ; the 
ball shall then be considered dead; nevertheless, if 
an idea be entertained that either of the strikers is 
out, a question may be put previously to, but not after 
the delivery of the next ball. 

"In one-day matches it is usual, in order to save time, to 
bowl either five or six balls to an over. In such matches the 



THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 55' 

number slionld be settled between the parties before commenoinf^ 
play. Tlie umpire must satisfy himself that the ball is ' finally 
settled' before he calls 'over'." — Thomsoiiby. 

" Sometimes the umpire is at -fault in calling over as agreed 
upon, but the batsman must take the consequence thereof." — Box. 

" Finally settled," a nice point, truly. It is understood to 
mean when the batsmen have relinquished the attempt to get 
runs, because the ball is so near to the wicket at one end or the 
other that a ruivattempted is a sure run out. But if over is 
called before a man reaches his ground, as I once saw done, the 
batsman should have ''the benefit of the doubt." I should 
think, however, that such a case would be good ground for an 
appeal for the dismissal of the umpire. — Ed, 

XLV. The umpire must take especial care to call 
^' no ball" instantly upon delivery; '^ wide ball" as 
soon as it shall pass the striker. 

''He should call 'no ball instantly' to give the striker an. 
opportunity to take advantage of the bowler's laxity." — 
Lillywhite. 

XL VI. The plaj^ers who go in second shall follow 
their innings, if they have obtained eighty runs less 
than their antagonists, except in all matches limited 
to only one day's play, when the number shall be 
limited to sixty instead of eighty. 

See note as to this law on p. 26. 

XL VII. When one of the strikers shall have been 
put out, the use of the bat shall not be allowed to any 
person until the next striker shall come in. 

NOTE. — The committee of the Marylebone club think it de- 
sirable that previous to the commencement of a match, one of 
each side should be declared the manager of it ; and that the 
new laws with respect to substitutes may "be carried out in a 
spirit of fairness and mutual concession, it is their wish that 
such substitutes be allowed in all reasonable cases, and that the 
umpire should inquire if it is done with the consent of the 
manager of the opposite side. 

Complaints*having been made that it is the practice of some 
players when at the wicket to make holes in the ground for a 
footing, the committee are of opinion that the umpire should be 
empowered to prevent it. 



56 THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 



THE LAWS OF SINGLE WICKET. 

I. When there shall be less than five players on a 
side, bounds shall be placed twenty-two yards each in 
a line from the off and leg-stumps. 

A single stump is generally used at the bowler's end, and a 
bail put on top, to be knocked off by the batsman when he 
makes a hit (and I have known an umpire so accommodating as 
to replace it each time, so that a hit for two could be tallied in 
the same way on each run by the batsman). The other two 
stumps of the bowler's wicket are generally used for the bounds 
referred to in the law. 

II. The ball must be hit before the bounds to en- 
title the striker to run, which run cannot be obtained 
unless he touch the bowling stump or crease in a line 
w^ith his bat, or some part of his person, or go beyond 
them, returning to the popping crease as at double 
wicket, according to the twenty-first law. 

If a ball is hit before the bounds, but bounces or rolls behind, 
the striker may score off of the hit. 

III. When the striker shall hit the ball, one of his 
.feet must be on the ground, and behind the popping 
crease, otherwise the umpire shall call ''no hit." 

And in such a case a run can not be made. 

IV. When there shall be less than five players on a 
side, neither byes nor overthrows shall be allowed, nor 
shall the striker be caught out behind the wicket, nor 
stumped out. 

Per contra, if there are five or more to a side all of these things 
shall be allowed and done. See Law Vlll. 

V. The fieldsman must return the ball so that it 
shall cross the play between the wicket and the bowling 



THE LAWS OF CRICK KT. 57 

stump, or between tlie bowling stump and the bounds ; 
the striker may run till the ball be so returned. 

The ball must be returned by the fieldsman before the bounds 
in front of the line between the bowler's stump and the bounds, 
and that the striker may run and count until the ball be so 
returned ; e. g., let A be the wicket, and B C the bounds, D 
the pitch of the ball, and E the place from whence it must 
be fielded. The ball cannot be fielded in the direct line E A, 
but must be returned to the front of the line A B, or of its 
continuation, A B F, to stop the running, or put the striker out. 

E t 

F fB A tC 

D 

VI. After the striker shall have made one run, if he 
start again he must touch the bowling stump, and turn 
before the ball cross the play to entitle him to another. 

Each run in single wicket is equivalent to two runs at double 
wicket ; i. e., the striker must run from his crease to the bowler's 
stump, touch it, and return to his ground before his wicket is put 
down (by a throw, &c.) to entitle him to one run. If his wicket 
is hit, by a throw" of the ball, or by the bow^ler or other fieldsman 
with the ball in the hand, at any time while the batsman is 
attempting a run, he is out. He may also be put out by a catch 
as in double wicket. 

''The play" is the line of the twenty-tAvo yards between the 
boAvler's stump and the batsman's wicket. The striker can make 
one run, even if the ball cross the play before he started for his 
return, but not more. 

VII. The striker shall be entitled to three runs for 
lost ball, and the same number for ball stopped with 
hat, with reference to the twenty-eighth and thirty- 
third laws of double wicket. 

VIII. When there shall be more than four players 
on a side, there shall be no bounds. All hits, byes, 
and overthrows shall then be allowed. 

IX. The bowler is subject to the same laws as at 
double wicket. 

X. No more than one minute shall be allowed be- 
tween each ball. 



58 THE LAWS OF CRICKET. 



BETS. 

I. No bet upon any match is payable unless it be 
played out or given up. 

II. If the runs of one player be betted against 
those of another, the bet depends on the first innings 
unless otherwise specified. 

III. If the bet be made on both innings, and one 
party beat the other in one innings, the runs of the 
first shall determine it. 

IV. If the other party go in a second time, then 
the bet must be determined by the number on the score. 



Diagram A 



Positions for eleven men in the field to a fast right 
round-arm bowler : 



Long Slip. 



Long Leg. 



© Short Slip. ^ 



Cover Point. 



Third Man. 



Point. 



_^-^^ 



.e.^ 



fC*- 



.\) 



S^^ 



Short Leg. 



© :srid Off. 



Mid On. 



Bowler. 
© Umpire. 



If a long stop is required to back up the wicket^ 
keeper, mid on is usually the man dispensed with in 
very fast bowling. The umpires always stand in the 
same respective positions. 



(59) 



DIAGRAM B 



Positions precisely reversed to the foregoing at the 
OVER. (See pp. 24-25.) 

Umpire. 
Bowler. 

eMid-On. 0Mid-Off. 



Short Leg. Point. 

Umpire. Coyer Point. 

Wicket-Keeper. 

© Third Man. 

Short Slip. 

Long Leg. * 

Long Slip. 



(60) 



Diagram c 



Positions for eleven men to a medium pace right 
round-arm bowler: 



© Short Slip. 
© Third Man. 

© Point. 
© Cover Point. 



Long Leg. 



© ^Yicket-Iveeper. 

© Short Leg. 



© Mid Off 



Mid On, 



© Bowler. 



(61) 



Diagram d, 



Positions for eleven men to a slow, medium pace^ 
left round-arm bowler: 

© Short Slip. © Long Leg. 

© Third Man. 

@ Wicket-Keeper. 

© Cover Point. © Point. """^ . © Short Leg. - 



) Mid Off. © Mid On. 

© Bowler. 

© Long Field Off. 



(62) 



THE UMPIRE. 



BY A FADED BLUE STRIPE. 



Of late veavs it has become the fashion amono: 
American cricketers to look upon the umpire as a 
necessary evil of the noble game, a ''much abused" 
man who occupies the " unenviable " and '' thankless " 
position, &c., &c. ; and it is with a strong desire, and 
fond hopes, of overcoming this prejudice that the fol- 
lowing; suo'siestions or hints are offered to the reader 
of this little volume, by one who, in common with his 
fellow cricketers, has suffered much in the score books 
of his club and the Recording Angel, from the want of 
good umpires in ordinary club matches. Bear in mind 
that it is not easy to be a really good umpire — but it 
is quite possible. One of the oldest cricketers of this 
country, — known from one end of it to the other as 
a first-rate player and fine judge of the game, told 
me that he had no pleasure in ''standing umpire," 
because in case of a ''run out" he could not satisfy 
himself as to " how it was," as he found it impossible 
to look at the ball knocking down the wicket, and the 
runners bat gliding over the crease at the same time. 
And without this happy faculty of seeing " the whole 
thing " at a glance, no man can fill the umpire's posi- 
tion acceptably. But in this, as in the other depart- 
ments of the game, practice is a great improver, and 
I advise you, my junior friend, to take the position 
whenever offered you, and if you take advantage of 
your opportunities you will find the habit of close ob- 
servation acquired in umpiring of incalculable service 
to you in playing. Many good players are, however, 

(63) 



64 THE UMPIRE. 

wretched umpires, mainly owing to lack of practice in 
the position. The most exciting match in which I 
ever played was made so, partly, by the error of the 
umpire in giving one of the batsmen out ''leg before 
wicket" on a ball which only struck his bat fair and 
square, as the ''judge," an old cricketer and good fel- 
low, afterwards confessed, adding that " he knew it all 
the time, but was carried away by the excitement of 
the occasion and the vociferous appeals of bowler and 
wicket-keeper." 

Presuming a general knowledge on your part of 
the rules of the game, as fully explained and inter- 
preted elsewhere, and that you have consented to 
"stand umpire" on a match, your duties will begin 
before the game does, for the rules require that you 
should " pitch the wickets." In this country this duty 
is generally entrusted to the ground-man, who prepares 
beforehand a good wicket, leaving its exact locality to 
be decided upon by the captains of the contending 
teams. You may, however, be called on to do this 
yourself, in w^hich case you should carefully examine 
both ends and see that there are no slopes or "bumps " 
near the "pitch" of a good length ball; but if the 
nature of the ground is such that these undesirable 
features must be somewhere between the wickets, try 
to have them either very near the stumps where they 
are not likely to affect the course of the ball, or else 
so far from them that the batsmen may have plenty 
of time to see the result of their influence on a "long- 
hop," dropped there by the unskillful or, maybe, tricky 
bowler. Next you should see that the popping and 
bowling creases are properly made. Their width 
varies according to the skill of the artist with the 
white-wash brush, but you must take care that any 
extra breadth does not in the one case prevent the 
bowler from coming fully up to the line of the stumps, 
or in the other case contract the " batsman's ground " 



THE UMPIRE. G5 

(see diagram, p. 8.) Then the return crease must 
be dra^vn at rigid angles to the bowling crease, and 
not as I have often seen it done, even by '' profess- 
ionals," at an angle of 45°, which gives an unfair ad- 
vantage to the bowler. A simple test of an ordinary 
wicket is that the ball shall nearly but not quite pass 
between the stumps without disturbing the bails — and 
the distance between the wicket and popping crease is, 
approximately, the length of the blade and two handles 
of a man's bat. You wnll hardly be expected to re- 
member the exact dimensions of stumps, bats, balls, 
&c., w^hich are genemlly from the hands of w^ell known 
makers, and not likely to be far out of the way. If, 
however, you suspect, or it is suggested, that any of 
them are wrong they should be immediatelj^ tested. 
Bats wdll get too wdde by constant use, and I remem- 
ber seeing George Giles, the keen professional of the 
St. George's club of New York, surprise one of our 
leading cricketers hj requesting him to '' take a 
quarter inch off his bat " — and he had to do it. Oc- 
casionally a smallish ball is seen, and as it is customary 
to play with two balls, each side furnishing one, it 
seems to me only fair, in the absence of any rule on 
the subject, that the batting side should bat its ow^n 
ball, o'ivino' the whole eleven fielders a fair chance to 
discover any defect in it. If the fielding side should 
provide the ball, and it be undersized, great injustice 
w^ould be done to the batters. 

Everything about the ground being ready you should 
now ascertain from the captains what agreement they 
have made as to number of runs allowed on '^ bound- 
ary " hits, number of balls to the over, and time for 
lunch and for drawing the stumps, first comparing your 
watch with that of the other umpire, to prevent any 
unpleasantness in case of an exciting finish. 

The time for beginning the match having arrived, 
take your position either at the bowler's or batter's 



66 THE UMPIRE. 

wicket as you and your colleague may decide ; but it 
is worth knowing that by a little diplomacy you may 
manage to have the sun on your back and in his face 
all day, if you are not very careful. Before the first 
ball is boAvled take a final look at the wicket and its 
immediate surroundings, being especially careful that 
the bails are well set in the grooves of the stumps. 
Let us suppose that you have taken the bowler's end. 
Your first duty will be to find out from which side of 
the wicket he will bowl, and give the batsman his 
''guard" accordingly, standing for that purpose, with 
your eye as nearly as possible in the line of the bowl- 
er's hand when delivering the ball. Observe that it 
makes all the difference in the world whether the 
bowler be right or left handed, and you must see that 
the batsman really gets what he wants— that is,'' guard " 
against the bowler's attack, and he depends on you to 
know from what point it will come. The batsmen and 
fielders being quite prepared, give the word "play," 
loud enough for all to hear, and then look out for 
yourself, for your troubles are about to begin. But 
where are you standing ? There is onli/ one proper 
place for the umpire when the ball is being de- 
livered, never mind where the bowler is, and that 
is directly behind the wicket, far enough from it 
to be out of the way of the bowler in delivering 
the ball, or putting down the wicket, but not too 
far to detect a " no ball" or "one short." Stand 
with your side to the batter like a soldier " dressing," 
and dont move till the ball is played or missed by the 
batsman, who, of all things, hates a moving back- 
ground. When the bowler is " over the wicket " you 
will often be asked by the batter to " stand as wide as 
possible," so as not to be behind the bowler's hand, 
and though you should be as obliging as possible, you 
have no right to go so far away from your proper 
place that you have to move up after the delivery of 



THE UMPIRE. 67 

the ball in order to see " how is it " on an appeal as 
to " leg before," of which more, in plenty, anon. If 
you have provided yourself with a white coat, the 
batters will like you the better. With all this pre- 
paration we have not yet seen the first ball bowled, and 
before we do, let me impress it upon you that you are 
'' the sole judge of fair or unfair play," and in case of 
the latter you must check it unasked ; that in all 
cases not especially provided for in the written rules 
of the game you must be governed by precedent, com- 
mon sense, and the evident motives of the players at 
the time. Make up your mind immediately as to 
facts, but don't hesitate to consult the rules on ques- 
tions of law, before giving a decision Avhich may be 
very unjust. Remember that the batter is on the 
defensive ; the field are eleven to one against him, 
and it is your bounden duty to protect him as much 
as possible and give him the benefit of every reasona- 
ble doubt. Prompt decisions will show that you are 
attending to your business, and insure the respect of 
all concerned. Delay in giving judgment is seldom 
justifiable, for there is a sort of cricket conscience 
in a man that tells him instantly whether it is '' out " 
or "not out" and there are few, if any, umpires cool 
enough to weigh the jjros and cons w^hile the field is 
awaiting his decree, and yet decide so quickly as to 
convince the players that he knows what he is about. 
Do not be flurried by loud and frequent appeals. 
This is necessary counsel, for nothing is harder than 
to show your moral courage by continued " not out " 
before an infuriate eleven, and perhaps a crowd of 
spectators ; for it has the appearance of unfairness, 
and I have seen many a good bat sacrificed by w^ell 
meaning, honest, but timid umpires. When a very 
small boy, umpiring for my elders and cricket betters, 
keeping tally w^ith six marbles from a w^ell filled pocket, 
the wdcket keeper, on the last ball of the over, de- 



68 THE UMPIRE. 

manded my ''judgment " on a clever piece of stump- 
ing, I nodded and tossed up the remaining '' chinee," 
saying nothing. But the batsman, my own brother, 
gave me such a savage look that I promptly decided 
him ''not out," securing for "our side" a glorious 
victory, of which I have been ashamed ever since.^ If 
by your manner you cannot check useless or ridicu- 
lous appeals, you may resort to the celebrated retort 
of Alfred Diver, one of George Parr's all England 
Eleven of 1859, and a famous umpire, who, when 
asked by the wicket keeper " how's that," the appeal 
being absurd, would reply " wonderful, sir, wonderful !" 
Well, here comes the bowler, perhaps with a rush, 
and though your work, as seen from the grand stand, 
seems simple, and easy enough, you now have many 
things to look to. First : Did the bowler deliver a 
"no-ball?" He may do this in many ways, either 
by throwing, jerking, or going on or over the bowling 
crease or return crease with his foot. It would seem 
that you must be argus-eyed to watch all these points 
at once, but as a matter of fact, it is not usually very 
difficult. The chances are that the bowler has at least 
a local reputation for fairness, and you need not worry 
over his delivery. But if it is doubtful like that of 
Mr. Exham of the Irish Gentlemen, or Willsher, of 
wider fame, make up your mind about it at once, and 
if unfavorable, " no ball " him, and let the captains de- 
cide between them whether he may boAvl or not. If 
they conclude to let him go on, you are justified in 
saying no more about it. After an over or two you 
Avill know pretty well whether a bowler is likely to 
" crowd " his crease or not.^ If he does, it is customary 
to warn him, and then " no ball " him without mercy 
if he goes beyond the limits allowed by law\ Many 
bowlers, notably Mr. Law of the Merion club, will 
drag their back foot over the crease after (?) the de- 
livery of the ball, and it is a very nice point for the 



THE UMPIKH. rtO 

umpire to decide as to its fairness, but I aui decidedly 
of the opinion that the ball is delivered generaUy at 
the moment the toe " digs " into the ground. 

In 1878 Mr. Chas. Newhall, of the Young America 
club, caused the Australians much unhappiness by 
drao;o:ino; his foot over the line at the anode of the 
bowling and return creases ; and in 1872 the umpire 
of Mr. Grace's team said he was bowling '' no balls " 
in this way, but when told to '' call 'em, then," he 
couldn't make up his mind to go so far ; so you see it 
is a delicate question, and unless carried to extremes 
does not w^ork any injustice to the batsman. 

If in your opinion a '' no-ball " has been bowled call 
it immediately^ giving the batter every chance to hit 
it away if he can. You cannot call it too soon after 
delivery, and you w^ill be quicker than most of us if 
you call it soon enough. 

You have also to watch the batsman at vour own 
end, for he may '' follow up " too eagerly and be 
caught out of his ground by the wily bowder while 
your eyes are on the other end. This, or something 
worse happened to the umpire for the Irish Gentlemen 
at Philadelphia, in 1879. 

The ball at last being fairly bowled, you must know, 
in order to give a fair decision on an appeal as to 
'' leg before w^icket," whether the ball strikes on that 
narrow strip of ground, only eight inches loide^ ex- 
tending from one wdcket to the other, and would, if 
unobstructed, have hit the batter's wicket. These are 
very narrow limits, and the only way you can be sure of 
the '^ pitch " of the ball is to look at the ground yx'&x 
in fi'ont of the wicket, about where a good length ball 
should pitch, and you Avill be surprised to see how few 
meet the requirements of a legitimate 1. b. w. If the 
bowling is '' round-arm," and not over the wicket, you 
maybe nearly sure that the batsman is '^ not out," un- 



70 THE UMPIRE. 

less the ball breaks very niucli, or is nearly '' full pitch," 
and this is easily proved by tying a white string from the 
outer stumps of one wicket to those of the other, and 
then bowling '' round the wicket," pitch a good length 
ball between the strings and hit the wicket. In nearly 
every case the ball striking between the strings will miss 
the wdcket, and while trying this you may often upset 
the stumps with balls which fall without the strings, but 
you will notice few which entirely " fill the bill " for 1. 
b. w. purposes unless bowled over the wicket. There is 
no good reason why this " leg before " business should 
be such a bugbear to all umpires. The rule on the 
subject is very explicit, and the facts in each case 
may be ascertained Avithout difficulty, simply by look- 
ing at the ground and following the ball with the eye 
after it strikes. It is not enough that the ball struck 
'' on the wicket," or would have hit it. You must 
have a combination of the two, and unless you see ex- 
actly where the ball from the bowler's hand strikes 
the ground, you will be inclined to give him ^'out" 
simply because you see that the ball was surely on the 
Avay to his stumps when his leg intervened. Many 
old cricketers have wrong ideas of the proper interpre- 
tation of the twenty-fourth rule, and I remember playing 
in a "grand" match last year, when one of the umpires 
was so much at sea on the question that he was retired 
"by mutual consent." 

We are getting on but slowly, and the ball has not 
yet reached the batsman, and before it does, let us con- 
sult a moment on the question of a " wide " which the 
bowler may commit with the very first ball. 

I have heard many old players, who should have 
known better, call "wide" because the ball passed 
beyond the end of the popping crease. This has 
nothing to do with it, as the rule allows the crease to 
be unlimited in length. You must judge a wide, unless 



THK UMPIRE. 71 

it go over the batter's head, and he not stooping, sim- 
ply by the reacli of the batter, remembering that a 
tall man can reach much farther than a short one, and 
that the reach of miy man is greater on the off side 
than on the '' leg." Don't call the '' wide " too soon, — 
not till it has passed the batter. In the match at 
Philadelphia, with George Parr's team in 1859, the 
umpire called a '' wide," Hayward struck the ball, was 
caught at mid-off, was of course given '' not out," and 
then made a long score. 

As the scorer is ordinarily a long way from the 
wicket, it is customary for the umpire to notify him of 
''extras" by signals, holding up the hand in case of 
'' wide," slapping his thigh for a '' leg bye," and tak- 
ing it for granted that he will score a ''bye" when 
he thinks he sees one run, unless the umpire calls a 
"hit." The scorer holds up his hand to show his 
understanding of the sign and thus much unnecessary 
music is avoided. 

The umpire when appealed to will generally throw 
up his hand for "out," and shake his head for "not 
out," and these signals, like the others are useful and 
appropriate, giving fielders and spectators much infor- 
mation which they could not hear, but they should al- 
ways be accompanied by the proper word of mouth. 
Many a bowder has been disgusted to find wides on 
the score book which never were " called," and I am 
thankful to have seen the surprise of an Englishman, 
just over, when told that he must retire on a catch at 
the wicket, because the umpire said " chuck her up." 

The ball having finally been fairly bowded, and hit 
away by the batsman, your duties are still of a com- 
pound nature, for while you must watch the ball, to 
see if it is fairly caught, or goes out of bounds, you 
must also keep an eye on the runners, to see that they 
do not run " one short." 



72 THE UMPIRE. 

Mr. KirchhofFer, captain of the Canadian eleven of 
1880, in the match at Philadelphia, Canada vs. United 
States, tells of a match in which he was last man in, 
with four to win. He made a long drive, four were 
run, after a fashion, but his partner had run three 
short and was run out on the fourth ! If you don't 
watch the runners one of the fielders may scare you 
green by yelling, ''how's that for one short" — and you 
will never love that fielder any more. 

With all your other duties you must count the balls 
of the ''over." Thanks to the suggestion of Mr. 
Robert Newhall, of the Young America club, whose 
long innings perhaps make the umpire's voice monot- 
onous, the overs are announced in all Philadelphia 
matches by the tap of a bell, kept on the scorer's 
table, and the umpire is relieved of his mental arith- 
metic, but in this case, as in the others, the " over " 
should be '^called," if ever so quietly, by the umpire, 
as the scorer's bell is not officially recognized. 

If, however, you should be in a heathen land and 
obliged to count the balls, the task will at first be a 
difficult one, especially if "wides," "no. balls" or 
falling Avickets require your attention ; and from time 
immemorial it has been the custom for the umpire to 
keep his record with pennies, or pebbles, dropping 
one to the ground, or pocket, as each ball is bowled, 
but for myself I have always preferred the simpler, 
though less reliable plan of counting on the fingers, 
moving the thumb from the little finger up. 

Having safely weathered your first over, and the 
bowling being now from the other end, take your posi- 
tion midway between the continued lines of the bowl- 
ing and popping creases behind the batsman as he 
stands ready to play, be he right hand or left, near 
the position known as "short-leg," far enough from 
the wicket to dodge a hard leg hit, but not too far to 



THE UMPIRE. 73 

see a close case of '^ stumped," "• run out," or '' one 
short," for it is only in deciding these questions that 
your services Avill be required now, unless your col- 
league may appeal to you on a supposed catch which 
he may not have been able to see. 

We have no^v got the game well started, and it de- 
volves upon you to keep it going, allow^ing no un- 
necessary delays, and enforcing the time rules as 
strictly as possible. 

When the wicket is disturbed, repair the damage 
yourself^ and see that the bails are, in every case, well 
set in the grooves. I have knowm a wicket keeper to 
put them on insecurely, w^ith premeditated murder in 
his eye. The innings being over, put the ball and 
bails in your pocket for safe keeping. See that the 
ground is rolled and swept for the next innings, and 
have the creases frescoed anew if necessary ; always 
keeping an eye on the time, that the ten minutes 
allowed between innings may not be exceeded, unless 
by mutual consent of both captains, with whose agree- 
ments it is never wise to interfere. 

I have intentionally avoided any explanation of the 
rules, which are so well and thoroughly interpreted in 
another department of this w^ork, but I would again 
impress it upon you that in cases not provided for by 
the written law you should be governed by precedent, 
as far as you know it, by common sense, as vouchsafed 
to you, and by the motives of the players, as they ap- 
pear to your own unaided senses. Above all, do not 
accept unquestioned the views of old players, of whom 
no two can be found to agree, or of Englishmen, sim- 
ply as such, for they are brought up on the game, and 
I verily believe many of them never saw the rules. 

In 1869, I saw an English eleven, comprising four 
professionals, try to prevent their American opponents 
from having the wicket rolled for the second innings 
4a 



74 THE UMPIRE. 

of the natives, because notice had not been given to 
the umpire within one minute of the close of the pre- 
ceding innings. The law requiring such notice had 
been obsolete for many years. The Australians 
brought an umpire who wisSed it distinctly under- 
stood that he would " no ball " the bowler who allowed 
the ball to first strike the ground nearer to his own 
wicket than to that of the batter. The Irish Gentle- 
men showed us a professional umpire from '• Lord's," 
w^ho openly proclaimed that he w^ould not decide a 
man ''run out" if the wicket keeper, ball in hand, 
removed the bail, tossed it in the air, and replaced 
it without allowing it to touch the ground, w^hich he 
claimed to be necessary for an " out." 

Study the rules and the interpretation of them given 
in this little book, collected from the best authorities. 
Do your duty intelligently, promptly, without fear or 
favor, sink all club feeling and personal interest 
in the contestants, avoid smoking and talking to 
the players while on duty, and so far from finding 
the umpire's position ''unenviable," "thankless," and 
one in which you will be "much abused," it w^ill 
enable you to have the most enviable view of the game 
in all its details, and insure the respect and hearty 
thanks of players and spectators alike. 

Do not hope to please everybody. It can't be done. 
But be very sure of your own approval in every decision 
you give. The noble man so lately taken from his 
great work, for Avhom this broad land of ours is still in 
deepest mourning, used to say : "There is only one 
man whose approbation I must w^in in all my doings, 
for I have to eat, sleep, and live with him, and his 
name is James Abram Garfield." 

Germantown, Sept. 22, 1881. 



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